Seeking Salvation
by Flamist.Rika
Summary: No one could really remember how she had gotten there in the first place, but it was clear; she didn't belong somewhere like the Game Preserve, among their dangerous prey when she had risked herself countless times to save their wounded brothers and bring them back from the grasps of the Black Warrior. Now, it was their turn to repay the favor; but was she really so helpless?
1. White Woman

Seeking Salvation

Chapter 1

"White Woman"

What had started as a mere myth and a rumor, grew into something so much more. And it all started so tragically.

Through the jungles and the shrubbery of their Hunting World, where the mighty warriors dropped off their prey to hunt them for trophy and sport, one of their own had been severely wounded by the creatures they were hunting and had managed to stumble through the greenery and find a river.

With labored breath and a pain that was almost unbearable, the warrior continued to lumber precariously forward before collapsing upon the smooth rocks of the river's bed and laid there. It's blood slowly seeping into the water as it hissed lowly and closed it's eyes, unwilling to take such a dishonorable death.

It laid upon the ground, a warrior revered for it's hunting and quickness, slowly ebbing away from blood lose and the deep gashes upon its arms and chest. The sun was high and it closed it's eyes against the rays, taking off it's helmet and pulled it off of it's face to reveal another deep wound upon it's head.

And just when the creature thought it was time- that's when the 'deity' appeared, silent and curious as to why perhaps a warrior laid upon the river bank from which it procured its water. Slowly, the warrior opened it's eyes and looked up- to see a figure looking down on it. But the warrior did not have the strength to move and just stared up at the clear eyes staring back.

The figure moved and knelt to the warrior's side, upon the river bank, and next to the river. Glimmering white hair danced on the window around tan skin,before the figure broke eye-contact and began to fill small containers with water; seemingly unfazed by a dying warrior. And the hunter watched as this being turned to him and began to pour the water of the river into his wounds. Rinsing them of dirt and grime and his own blood, one by one, working up from the bottoms of his feet and stopped at his neck.

They produced a small container from somewhere, filled with a white substance and the hunter hissed warningly at the figure but they put some of the substance in theiur palm and began to mix it with the river's clean water. The Figure paused long enough to push his wounded leg back onto the bank and out of the stream, then took their free hand and took small amounts of the white glob of mush in their other tanned palm; then slowly dabbed the substance into every wound, just enough to cover it.

The Hunter sat up and growled before the figure pushed them back down with an elbow to make them lay down. The warrior did so and watched as the figure continued to push the white substance into the Warrior's wounds- all but the one upon their head. And the bleeding stopped. And the white substance pulled their gashes together. The figure placed the glop of white on the warrior's chest, upon his armor then washed their hands in the river's water before lifting up a container of said water. With gentle hands, they shielded the hunter's eye closest to his head wound and washed out that wound too, before setting the container down and using their spare hand to push the mush into their head gash, pushing it deep as the warrior growled and tried to focus not on the pain.

The Hunter focused on the softness of the hands. The gentle and almost non-existent touch. And the quickness. But he laid still as they took the glob and put it into the empty water container the Figure had, who got up a moment. As the Warrior's vision began to flicker in and out, the Figure lifted him up by the shoulders before kneeling and laid the Hunter's head in their lap to give them some comfort. Their fingertips soothingly stroking the warrior's head as it drifted off to, perhaps, it's final slumber.

But it awoke, many hours later, as the suns began to set. Alive and well, if not fatigued greatly, and his head still in the figure's lap, who watched him silently. The Hunter sat up slowly and the Figure watched, as he checked his wounds. The strange white substance had pulled many of his wounds almost completely closed, leaving very faint traces of it's existance visible. The running of his fingers over his head proved this, as his large head wound was now just a bit larger than his fingertip, which the hunter double-checked in the river's crystal-clear reflective surface. The Hunter turned to the Figure, seeing now it was a woman.

She stood and walked off along the river, hopping across it as the Hunter watched, her pale white dress floating about her legs as she did. The female stopped and looked at the Hunter, who watched, and she began to run off. "Stop!" The Hunter yelled and she did not listen and continued off.

"Bahyaki!" One of his comrades yelled but the Hunter, Bahyaki, did not listen- he followed the woman.

She was thin and frail. They dropped so many creatures on this planet, it was hard ot know how many still survived- and none of them seemed as if they'd leave a girl alone if they found her. And Bahyaki did what he knew- He Hunted.

"Bahyaki, you live!" One of his comrades shouted happily but saw the hunter dart across the river after something and also gave chase. A chase that led them past a large rock, shaped like a tree.

Bahyaki gave no mind to his comrade and chased after her running form, which ran to an abandoned ship and vanished inside. He continued on and skidded to a stop, having chased her into a dead end. To the back, the corridor had fallen and collapsed what had been a hallway, to the left, there was supposed to be a large common room but a heavy door and some rubble had piled up against the wall where a smaller door was supposed to be, blocking the entrance to the room from being accessed. His comrade caught up with him and scanned the room,

"We thought you were dead-" His comrade started before he held up a hand to them and slowly looked around the rubble of the room.

"I was dead. If not for the White Woman." Bahyaki said, poking rocks to check for weakness and stability, trying to find any that had recently been moved or replaced. "She saved me, brother, from the Black Warrior. Did you not see her?"

"I caught a glimpse- but she is a myth." His comrade said but assisted in trying to help him find the girl, even trying to get behind the huge door but couldn't not get behind it. "The rubble has made this door too heavy to move...but this gap is small." He said and Bahyaki looked at it, seeing the doors behind the fallen door, completely shut with no windows, just metal- as they always made their ship's doors. "She does not stay, Bahyaki. You know the myth."

Reluctantly, the Hunter left with his comrade, and after a few moments, the metal doors slowly opened and the woman poked her head out to make sure they had left, before slipping back into the room and shutting the doors again.

~O~

Bahyaki returned to his clan, victorious in their trophy hunt, and told the story of his experience with the White Woman.

She had been a myth, spoken of by other warriors who went to their Game PReserve World to hunt. White of hair and clear of eye, she healed wounded warriors who collapsed upon the beds of the river near the tree-shaped rock with a strange ointment that they knew not how she made. An ointment that healed and closed their wounds completely, and when many Warriors chased after her to thank her as Bahyaki did- she vanished. Bahyaki was one of the top hunters in the clan, revered and respected by all. And his story brought about the stories of several others who had seen her and been healed by her, many worried for her well-being as they often dropped dangerous prey upon the planet to hunt; but not one story, stole of her being injured or harmed in anyway aside from a very thin and old dress.

Many hunters recounted stories of spending much longer time in her silent presence, speaking of being taken to a dark room and laying upon her lap as they healed. She fed them and nurtured them if they were weak enough, however the longest it lasted was two days and two nights, until the warriors comrades would come for them and she would vanish once more. Many more brought up stories of following her ot the same ship, and each time they revisited their hunting world, they brought along small sacks and left them in the 'dead-end hallway'; paying tributes of foods to the last place they recall their savior and would later return to find it gone.

Bahyaki finally voiced a plan to capture her; alive. Not for sport or for trophy or for hunt- but to preserve her.

She was a woman. A being that bore life and took care of pups much like their own women took care of their own sucklings. It was not for them to leave women here, though one had been left but she had been armed- and the other prey could injure or possibly worse- kill the White Woman, River Lady, or Daughter of White as come came to call her among many other names..

Many of the clan agreed but those who opposed it offered up a different option; to make a small home near the river, to lure the River Lady from hiding and to give their men a proper place to rest should they need her help once more. These ones noted that she may be human, and perhaps some human comforts would, in turn, comfort her.

That, perhaps with a small little home that was stable, she would take to it and be in it, there for giving many what they wanted- to thank her and give her small gifts of gratitude. Many objected ot this,

"We drop xenomorphs and other aliens and humans in there- what if she takes to the home and does move in? She will be vulnerable to attack from everything. It is better to bring her here, where she'll be safe." Someone opposed and they all agreed- and made it a challenge, to lure her out into the open and capture her, a sort of 'rescue mission'.

And they planned collectively what to do, and how to do it. And when they had decided, they loaded up their ships with the necessary supplies and tools to guarantee a success.

They would bring 2 separate teams and would leave each team in separate areas.

In the hopes that one of them would safely 'collect' the River Lady and bring her home to them.


	2. Through the Gaps

Seeking Salvation

Chapter 2

"Through the Gaps"

A ship landed- one in each spot where there were the most stories of the River Lady, each one holding a team of 3 young Yautjha each, and a small team of their more successful clan brothers to help with building.

They had decided to build a small "home" for the White Woman, one near the rock shaped like a tree upon the river bed, and one near the abandoned ship that held the "dead end" where she seemed to vanish. At each one, the younger yautjhas would be left to watch over the buildings and await for the fabled woman to appear. They had brought provisions for themselves and had been given provisions to leave at the finished buildings, and a few offerings from their clans brothers who could not come to be apart of the collection, to lure her out.

From the stories, no one seemed to remember when she may have been collected. And for that matter, never could any of them come up with when she had been placed on the planet. But they predicted that she had been on the planet for many Hunts, as she had helped many of them without a word.

It had been deduced that she perhaps, did not know the language or that perhaps time on the Game Preserve had rendered her need to speak as obsolete. She never came with companion to their aid; neither domesticated animal or befriended prey. Some voiced that perhaps she knew their language, as they had spoken to her and she reacted appropriately if not shyly to their words; one Clan-Brother swore he asked to use her lap to rest his head and she complied and another contested that he asked her to assist him in moving and she did so.

"Ok, so then what?" One of the younger new-bloods asked his older clan-brother, "What if she doesn't come?"

"We are hunters." His Clan-Brother voiced, "We will wait, and if she does not come to us, then we will find her." The Younger one wordlessly continued to help his brother carry a large beam to towards the river. And he worried.

Among the gathered and openly shared oral stories and myths of the woman, was one of two clans-brothers. One had been wounded and the other had went after him. The White Woman had found the wounded Yautjha and had attempted to heal him as his clan-brother came out from the shrubbery and saw his brother swing a blade towards the woman, who jumped back from harm and pulled away from him as he began to get up. The wounded yautjha acted aggressively towards the White Woman, even as his clan-brother openly protested the mistreatment of the mythological child-bearer- and she fled them both.

The wounded Yautjha died. Because he had acted ungratefully towards the being. And his clan-brother remorsefully shared the story and urged his brothers to not repeat the actions, concluding that perhaps, despite being friendly and helpful, she was also aware that she could be harmed.

The young blood thought of this only because within his team was a more violent Yautjha that he feared, would scare off the woman and make it that much harder to catch her. "And if one of my clan-brothers moves to harm her?" He asked as they set the log down among a pile of others, while their brothers worked on a foundation of the house by pouring a quickening liquid into a framed-out mold, with 4 tall pillars of wood to serve as the base for the small home.

"Ensure that she is not harmed, young one." The Older clan-brother advised, "And tell Leader of their transgressions." The young one stood a moment and watched their brothers work on the foundation with his clan-brother, something that had to be done before any more construction could be done.

"What if the prey here attacks her while we wait?" The young blood asked again and the elder one looked at him,

"You are to bring the White Woman back, alive and unharmed." The older hunter growled firmly, and when the foundation had finished drying, they all pitched in to help build the small 'home'.

They had decided to go with a quick design, reminiscent of the homes some of them had seen on Earth. With four pillars, they build around it to give it a sturdy floor with enough square footage to go around the pillars and make something that could be referred to a "Wrap-around porch" with no railing, then made the walls tall enough to easily accommodate one of their ilk and strong enough to hold against the varying climate conditions and seasons that the game preserve displayed. They then made a roof, sturdy and stong, to keep off the rain from entering the small 'home', and gave it windows that they covered in the very finely-tanned hides of some of their kills, to keep out the heat of the day.

When they had finished and it was big enough to comfortably house all 7 of them, they began to crudely furnish it with the things they had agreed upon and loaded into the ship beforehand. They carried out large pillows and small pillows, and a few menial rugs of dark colors with splashes of bright red or bright blue,and laid the rugs upon the smooth but simple wood floor. They placed the larger pillows over areas of the floor that the rugs did not cover, and put the smaller pillows about to make it more "inviting". From the only doorway in the room, they hung a long and sheer fabric that draped on the floor even from the top of the doorframe where it was discreetly nailed into the wood, and began to waft on the breeze. Then they left whatever offerings they had been given by comrades in the small home, and their own offerings and tribunes across the rugs neatly (though mostly towards the back wall).

They spent another hour sanding the exposed 'walkway' around the house to smooth and slither-less perfection, before they brought out the real indicators- lanterns They hung the lanterns from the reeved they had made outside, and hung a couple inside the home from sturdy metal hooks, "It looks comfortable." One of them remarked and their clan-brother looked back,

"Of course. Now we booby-trap it." He responded and they laid out three traps on the sides of the structure where there was no door. Traps that would capture the White Woman, unharmed hopefully, as they were netting traps. Then, before they left, they left means of making a fire inside the structure as one of them contacted the other ship at the other point to inform them of their completion of their task.

And the original team of 3 young bloods were left behind as their elder Clan-Brothers took the ship and returned home, leaving them to make camp nearby and await the White Woman.

And they hunted a domestic creature and killed it, cooking it upon a spit, and watched the building. They ate and watched. Then they watched. And watched. And watched. When it seemed as if she's never come, an hour before sundown, that's when she appeared.

"Oh, she's there!" One of them chirped and the others joined him to observe her from 50 yards away where they hit in the underbrush under the safety of their cloaking devices.

She didn't notice the structure at first and merely walked along the river bed, carrying empty bottles that seemed to have been jars they used for specimens. The White Woman knelt down in her threadbare dress and washed out these jars in the river before filling them one by one with water. Then she picked them up and stopped, "She sees it." One whispered.

And that she did, for she slowly started walking towards the establishment alongside the river. Then she set the jars down on the exposed walkway to test for sturdiness, and pushed down a few times on the walkway to ensure its sturdiness, then hopped up onto it. She moved back and forth as she solidified the fact that it wouldn't fall on her, and began to calmly walk around the perimeter, "Look at her, she's fearless." One young blood murmured,

The young-bloods turned on their heat-tracking and watched as she looked inside the establishment before she walked around, presumable touching the pillows and the tributes, before quickly collecting her jars of water and moved right into the small home. "Oh shit." another murmured and pointed out away from the home and his brothers followed where he pointed.

Maybe 25 yards away from the establishment, something else had been watching the White Woman- one of their many dangerous Prey. It was slinking closer and closer towards the little home as they watched the White Woman from afar, eating on some of the articles of food that had been left for her. Completely content and oblivious. Then, she began to move as the creature continued to creep- and began to move the rugs around the room, "She's rearranging the house? Now?" And that she did. She bordered the inside of the room's walls with the rugs and left a large portion of solitary floor in the middle of the room before putting the larger pillows in the middle of the room, and piling up the smaller ones in a corner. "Oh...I think...she's strategizing."

As the creature crept closer and closer still, the White Woman took the fabric that many of the tribunes had been laid in, laid a single large piece of it on the ground, and moved all of the food into its center. She then laid out another and places many of the other items into it, pulled up the edges of the one with the food and ties the edges all together securely before following the same action with the other one to make two bundles. "Look at her!" One marveled as she did this same procedure to the jars of water she had brought in, making three secure carrying 'bags' for everything- and moved them next to the door before she spotted the creature. "Less than 5 yards away- is that one of the aliens we dropped off?"

"Well it's not a xenomorph." Another corrected and they watched as the White woman slowly stepped out of the house, moving gracefully to the edge of the walkway just before the creature looked up and growled at her. "Oh god."

As the sun had started to fade and give away to night, the creature darted towards the White Woman and the young bloods gasped in horror as the creature lunged at her and scrambled up onto the freshly made walkway where she stood.

However, it fumbled and the White Woman dodged it completely before running around the walkway as the creature scrambled after her. One of the Young bloods readied a sniper weapon as the woman stopped around a corner and crouched. The creature stumbled over her and filled over her, snarling angrily at the White Woman and lunged at her once more as her back was turned to one of the large netting traps that had been set up for the White Woman.

They watched as she grabbed it's upper arms, put a foot to it's abdomen, then flipped the creature backwards into the river bed's smooth rocks. The creature snarled angrily at it rolled into the rocks, the White Woman crouching on the walkway as the alien stood back up and roared at her, charging once more and grabbed her leg before the trap was triggered. She let out a yell before the trap sprung and wrapped the alien up in the netting before flinging it into the forest as the creature squealed in surprise and frustration- almost bringing her with it before it was flung, but its grip pulled her from the walkway and tossed her into the rocks.

"She's injured." One of them spoke as the White Woman got up shakily and stumbled to the house, quickly grabbing the bundles she had made and stumbled off. "Quick, we can get her."

They young bloods collected themselves and rushed to the house, looking around for any trace of the White Woman; and they found blood. Small puddles of it had pooled, but lessened as she had moved away. But it left a very faint trail. The young bloods followed it until it vanished into the river. "She did it on purpose." One of them hissed before another lifted his arm and contacted the other squadron to report that she had visited their side of the river and had been injured in a fight with the 'local wildlife'. They had lost her after she passed by the river but hoped the other squadron would have better luck once she started bleeding again.

" _We will begin looking in the morning."_ The Leader of the other team replied calmly over the communicator, " _Investigate the hut and see what she took."_

The young bloods split up- two going to check on the creature, and one stayed behind to look around the house. He noticed the food was gone, and the tribunes, the pillows left behind with the rugs; and a single lantern and all of the flint they left and flint rocks to make a fire. He investigated the layout of the house and realized something as he walked along the rugs.

They omitted all sound.

She had put them that way incase the creature entered and she could run along them to leave, and it wouldn't know, but that would entail that she knew it was coming and must have seen it from far off.

The young blood, Slash, left the hut and regrouped with his clan-brothers, the creature still squirming up in the net and snarling in frustration.

It was pale in color with strong, muscular legs and long arms that held even longer talons. Blood was smeared on one of it's hands that held the elongated talons. The blood of the White Woman, which seemed to be progressively eating through the rest of it's flesh as it roared at of the flesh was on on the bloodied talon, leaving ever fading traces of muscle and bone.


	3. New Arrival

Seeking Salvation

Chapter 3

"New Arrival"

The nights on the Game Preserve wore short lived, but Slash and his youngling clans brothers still waited until the sun rose to it's fullest the next day to go and free the creature from the net trap they had set up to catch the White Woman.

But when they arrived, they found only a few bones left and a giant puddle of blood underneath the hanging netting where it had been the night before. Whatever had infected it had completely erode the being into what they looked at now.

Chalking it up as something from one of the planet's plants indigenous to the area, the young bloods set off to regroup with the other team of young-bloods, who awaited them by their side of the river. When they did, Slash and Dagger and their clan-brother Talon, retold the events of the day before which led to the White Woman's injury.

"She found a river ghost?" One of the other young bloods questioned, "And what happened to it?"

"Well, we went to free it this morning but it was gone. Just a lot of blood and a couple bones left." Dagger explained before adding, "Which is odd because it was fine yesterday, if not for whatever was eating away at it's flesh."

"Over here, I found the trail." One of the other young bloods called and they all regrouped once more after splitting up, which consisted of partial foot prints; pad, mostly, all right foot. "Seem familiar?"

"Yeah, it was her right leg that got injured." Slash spoke up, and they all started to follow it, being led directly to the abandoned ship that was recounted in the stories and sightings of the White Woman. It led them to the dead-end, but veered to the left towards the heavy door which was against the wall still.

The blood pooled slightly next to the heavy door, just a little behind it, and completely vanished. "It ends here but this door is blocking the other set behind it."

"Maybe they slide open? with enough force we can open it manually since there's no power here anymore." Dagger spoke up and touched the door, "If there's really something in there, then we'll have to move this other door."

They unanimously agreed and pushed Slash forward- the runt of the bunch- to try to open the door. Who begrudingly knelt down and was careful not to touch the pool of blood. He caught the seam between the doors and pulled with a grunt as th eothers watched. The doors opened abit reluctantly but smoothly, and Slash pulled them fully open and crouched down to look inside. "What's in there, Slash?" Dagger asked, and the other predator looked back at them,

"The White Woman." He said simply, and moved aside, pulling a rag from the tracking of the door which had been the problem in it's opening and used it to wipe up the blood. They pushed him aside and all peeked in.

And the White Woman meekly looked back at them. Sitting up in a crude, makeshift bed of blankets and thin pillows, her back against the wall behind he for support. A blanket pulled up to her lap as she sat there, the room illuminated; by a single lantern in the corner to her right hand side. The blanket over her injured leg was bloody, but she tilted her head to the side curiously, perhaps wondering why they were there, though she didn't move much aside from turning her head straight again. "How did she get in there?" "Who cares? She's real!" "How did she even open the doors?" The White Woman continued to watch them, lifting up a large chunk of meat to her chin and bit into it, turning her attention away from them to continue eating. It had been one of the foods left for her in the little house. At least they knew she was eating, and a show of appetite was a positive sign.

They withdrew from watching her and circled up, "We should start with the door itself." Dagger offered but Talon countered, "What a stupid idea. Start with the rubble then the door."

Every so often as they argued, one of them would peek in on the White Woman, who sit sat in her little bed. The extent of her injury was unknown, but she had bled so she was in fact injured. but she didn't leave her smell of the meats and sweets they had left her to lure her out, slowly wafted out to them as they argued before finally coming to a conclusion. half of them would work on the rubble and the other half would work on moving the door out of the way.

The chunks of rubble were tossed to the other dead end's collapsed hallway as three young bloods tried to pull the door free, however it seemed to have been rusted to the ceiling at the top from the rain seeping in for so long. "Anyone got a shuriken?" "I left mine back at the camp…" "Of all the things I forgot to bring!" "No." "Yeah I got one." "MY MAN, DAGGER."

When the rubble had been cleared to the other side, the group stepped back and readied the shuriken blade that Dagger had, thankfully, brought with him. Talon tossed it at the door and the thick blades cut through the metal of the door and ricocheted off the wall, but Dagger caught it before it went too far. "We should close the doors so this heavier one doesn't fall into her room." Slash offered and went over to the crevice heind the door, the White Woman looking at him curiously, "We're uh- going to close this for a minute." Slash told her, and after a long moment-

She nodded. As if she understood. And Slash pushed the doors shut before the two teams pulled the heavier door off.

It took all 6 of them, but they managed to move the door aside to completely reveal the pair of metal doors that led to the room she was in. Slash pulled them open and they glided easily, the White Woman still in the room on her bed, looked up at them silently.

The party pushed forward Dagger- one of the many who had been healed by the White Woman, and she looked to him. Her eyes flickered to his wound which still had a small white patch of her healing gunk, then looked into the eyes of his hunter's mask. Into his eyes, it seemed, through the metal and glass. Dagger walked over to her and knelt next to her bedside, wondering what to do after his clan-brothers had shoved him in. But she acted first.

The White Woman reached up and brushed her hand against his left shoulder where she had healed his wound, then reached up to him and brushed her left hand against face despite the mask being there first. As if she meant to ask him if he was alright. He could feel it even though she didn't speak. "You saved my life. And my clans' mens'." He told her and she pulled her hands away, placing them in her lap and smiled at him, "We put dangerous creatures on this planet- to hunt them. And you got hurt." She looked away as if she felt guilty for getting in the way of their hunting, "You have taken care of us, time and time again." She looked back at him, "Allow us to take care of you." She looked from Dagger to his clan-brothers then to the oever corner of the room behind them, to the left of the door.

Where a small pile of their tribunes to her were neatly set up, awaiting to be used. Little things like combs and trinkets carved from bones of their kills, strips of fabric and beads from their dreadlocks that shone and glimmered unique colors. She looked back at Dagger and pointed to them, "We'll get them." Dagger told her and she nodded, "I'm going to pick you up and carry you out." He informed her and she nodded again, moving the blanket so that it wouldn't get in the way of him lifting her up, but her legs were still covered.

Dagger slipped his hands under her knees and around her back and lifted her up easily, slowly moving one leg at a time until he was standing. During the process, the blanket had wafted of and revealed the full extend of the damage to her leg.

It was broken, and the fragmented bone had pierced through her soft caramel skin and protruded menacingly. Her own concoction had been rubbed over it to stop most of the bleeding, but it had turned a pinkish color from the mixture of her blood and the paste. Slash and Talon grabbed the tribunes and one of the others grabbed the jar of white paste she used to heal and mend their wounds, and they left the ship. The White Woman flinched every now and then as Dagger carried her, when a step of his shook her wounded leg, but made no sounds, her arms loosely looped about his neck so she wouldn't fall. Not to imply that he'd drop her.

The team closest to her had been left with a ship, which they all boarded as a group, before shutting the hanger bay door. Dagger sat down in a chair, setting the White Woman in his lap and making sure her wounded leg wasn't obstructed or touching anything. Some of the others just stared at her and one reached over and touched her arm, "She's warm." They quipped and the White Woman smiled at him, as if thanking him for the strange compliment as the ship lifted off the ground and took them to where they all belonged- Home.

~O~

When they landed on Yautjha Prime, Dagger carried the White Woman out first, followed by Slash with the tribunes she wanted to bring, Talon with the jar of strange white paste, and the other three young bloods.

A crowd had gathered to welcome them but mostly to see the mythical White Woman. They murmured happily and spoke words of happiness and praise to and for the White Woman; before they were quickly replaced with shouts of disbelief and snarls of anger to see her broken leg. The crowd gave them room and parted before the small group but rallied behind them and followed them as they made their way to the Clan Leader and the Elders whom Dagger and his fellow young bloods kneeled before,

"I, Dagger, present to you Leader- The White Woman." He said formally and she smiled up at the Leader; he too, had been healed by her, as had three of the five Elders.

"You did this horrendous thing to her, young blood?" The Leader hissed dangerously and gestured to her broken leg, "You would treat the White Woman with such disrespect?"

"N-No, Leader, it was not I who did this." Dagger stammered as their Leader glared at him, "The White Woman was attacked by prey on the Game Preserve." He said and looked back to the crowd of other Yuatjha's, male and female, suckling and blooded, "The creature, a River Ghost, attacked the White Woman at one of the small homes we build for her. Tangled in battle, we had no clear shot to subdue the prey, who the White Woman tossed into one of the netting traps we...uh...set for her." Dagger explained loudly and the others gasped in a mix of awe and horror, "In the fight, the River Ghost injured the White Woman, but she collected the food (and the tribunes) left in offering and retreated back to her safe haven, until we collected her and brought her here." He concluded and looked at the Leader. "The bleeding has stopped, but we believe one of the plants of the Game Preserve degraded the River Ghost's body to nothing more than a pool of blood and a few scraps of bone."

"Then she is a warrior as well as a healer." The Leader spoke before looking to his ilk, "Young Dagger will tell of her battle while the White Woman is tended to." He spoke and someone spoke up,

"May we pay tribute?" A clan-member asked and the Leader shook his head,

"Not today." The Leader said and looked to Dagger, "Take her to the Healers, quickly now." Dagger stood up and did as he was told, carrying the White Woman towards the Healer's Hut, "Tomorrow, we feast. Tonight, hold in your prayers the White Woman's swift recovery."


	4. Welcomed into the Fold

Seeking Salvation

Chapter 4

"Welcomed into the Fold"

Dagger, Slash, and Talon spend the night they brought the White Woman to Yautjha Prime, recounting the fierceness of her battle with the River Ghost to their kin, who were excited and thrilled by the tale despite its gruesome end. Two of their strongest warriors were posted outside of the Healer's Hut that night, as there had been opposition to the White Woman's presence when they all had verbally spoke of collecting her.

The Elders had put them there, deeming she had been hurt enough by their clan's carelessness in the regard that they left such dangerous prey unhunted. They did not want her harmed anymore than she was. None of the yautjha did, and it pained many of them to know she had been hurt in the first place.

The same warriors stood there the next day, many of the clan-members passing by to get a glimpse of the White Woman as they tried to "normally" continue with their tasks. But tension wafted in the air as the uncertainty of her prognosis was known to all. The Healer had not come out and spoken to the Elders, or even the Leader, since the White Woman had been brought to their hut. No one had heard anything and it worried them.

The only thing they had heard from the Healer's Hut, were the screams of pain of presumably the White Woman. And nothing more.

Then, as the Leader and the Elders came to the tent, the Warriors stepped aside and the Healer produced himself from the hut. Many gathered to hear the news, be it good or bad, it was news; and among the gathered were the young-bloods who had found her. "What of the White Woman, Healer?" The Leader asked gruffly, and the Healer looked at him,

"The bone has been realigned, yesterday." The Healer started, "She used her own medicine upon the wound before she took to sleep. I have checked her this day, and she is in good-spirits and the bone almost healed completely…" The Healer said suspiciously of her quick health, "She will need exercise, but she will fully recover by tomorrow. Bless the Black Warrior." Relief and joy spread over those who heard and praises for the Black Warrior were vocalized, but as the Leader uttered his own blessing for the act he also brought the question on everyone's minds to light;

"When can she be presented before the clan?" The Leader asked of the Healer, the two warriors at the Healer's sides looking at him.

"Now, if you wish it. I strongly advise that she have a yautjha with her until she is fully healed, though she is recovering nicely, if she were to fall it would be very bad." The Healer voiced, "She needs to move in short cycles, but must remain at rest afterwards." The Leader nodded and asked,

"If we brought pillow and set them about to lay on the floor, would that be appropriate?" The Leader asked and the clan's healer shook his head 'no'.

"For the leg to heal properly, she must be sitting in a chair where her foot touches the ground. If she does not sit this way, and upon the ground with our clans-ilk, her fragile bones may warp and twist into a way where they will be stunted from fully healing and the use of her leg will be very minimal." The Healer explained and concluded, "It will allow her to walk, yes, but it will cause her excruciating pain as her bones will hit each other with each step, instead of the vibrations from the step spreading evenly throughout the rest of her leg as yours and mine does."

The Clan Leader, among the youngest of all Leaders, thought about it for a few long moments before voicing to the Elders, "I believe we should set up a sitting area for her by the fires, and perhaps get an Apprentice to try and communicate with her. If we can learn how she got to the Game Preserve, we may be able to prevent future mistakes." The Elders looked at one another before they looked at the Leader.

"And?" One of the Elders encouragingly prodded since the Clan Leader was still learning his role. The Leader thought again for a long moment before adding on,

"And to find out her tactics of survival, which could enlighten the young bloods and the blooded, to that they will know what signs to look for when hunting prey." The Clan Leader added on and the Elders nodded approvingly, before they walked off, the other clans-members watching quietly. When the Leader and the Elders left, they quickly set up a sitting bench for the White Woman, as the Healer assisted in helping her stand up inside his Hut.

"Careful, Lady of the River." The Healer advised as she set her foot down gingerly, the pads of her toes first, before gradually lowering her injured leg more and putting more weight on it slowly. "Very good. Not too fast."

Outside, Dagger had woken up and walked over to the hut, attempting to walk into it before the guards blocked his path, "I brought her here."

"No entry, suckling." One of them grumbled mockingly before the other one added, "Leader wants you 'n the other young bloods that saw her fightin' to go and seem 'im." Dagger raised an eyebrow,

"When?"

"An hour ago. You're late, suckling." The first one said and the two laughed at him as he ran over to the Leader's hut, Slash and Talon already there- as were the Elders, an Ancient, and the Clan Leader who growled something along the lines of 'thanks for finally showing up.'

"We must talk about the White Woman." The Leader said simply, moving behind a desk, "And your actions against her." Dagger knelt down next to her clan-brothers and voiced,

"Actions against her, Leader?" Dagger echoed and his clan-brothers glared at him for both tardiness and stupidity. The Leader looked at them all,

"I ordered you to construct the homes for the White Woman, lure her out, and capture her." The Leader said, "What I did not order you to do was to booby trap the surrounding area. Who told you to do such a thing? Or did you take it upon yourselves?"

"A...A blooded told us, Leader." Slash offered, "We thought it was allowed-" The Leader slammed his fist down on the table before him in rage and roared at them,

"You are not led by a blooded, _YOU ARE LED BY ME!_ How dare you disobey my orders." The Leader boomed and the three young-bloods shrunk a bit in submission and fear as the Leader stood up, "Because of your actions, the White Woman was injured. Whether she fought the River Ghost or not, had those traps not been there I am certain she would not be in the Healer's Hut now. You mistakenly taking orders from a blooded brought pain and anguish to the White Woman, who has done nothing against this tribe or any Yautjha for that matter, in all of her known existence. _She_ does _not_ deserve to suffer because of _your actions_." The young-bloods guiltily averted their gazed from their Leader who stared back at him, walking back to his chair behind his desk and sitting down as the Elders and the Ancient stood and watched all of this. After a long moment he began to speak in a softer and more casual tone despite the fact that he spoke of a matter that wasn't so casual, "The Elders and the Ancients believe that I should revoke your privileges to go forth with your first hunt, to become Blooded, and that I should banish all three of you from the Clan." He said and the three looked up, parting their mandibles to protest before the Leader held up a hand to keep them silent, "I, however, see it for as it is; a mistake. A tragic one to our culture and community, but a mistake by three young-bloods who did not know better." They closed their mouths while the Leader continued,

"You may participate in your first hunt; I will not punish this clan from having some of it's younglings advance through the ranks of honor. However, there will be many conditions- and you will be tested harsher than your clan-brothers were for their first Hunt." The Leader voiced and looked at his nails as if the dirt underneath them was more important that the three young-bloods before him, scrapping some of it out while he continued, "We will be providing the White Woman with an Apprentice; one of the Humans among our tribe trained in our ways, in hopes to communicate with her. If she can communicate, then you will bring the White Woman with you as you go to the Breeding Facility of Yah'n Khaiy IV and select from their weakest xenomorph subjects the ones you wish to hunt. You will then fly to a spot upon Earth that has been pre-chosen by the Elders, Ancient, and I, and will conduct your first Hunt; as well as a protection detail for the White Woman, who will not leave the bay of your vessel." The Leader looked at them, "Any questions?"

"How are we to hunt weak Xenomorphs? Where is the honor in that?" Talon snarled in defiance and his brothers looked at him, "We are to baby-sit the White Woman and still Hunt? These are both honorless tasks!"

"Rumors say that the White Woman is perhaps a reincarnation of the mate of the Black Warrior." The Ancient in the room, Kha'Velh'Hakh, spoke up after his long awaited silence, "Rumor or not, she has been a symbol of luck and fortitude to our people. And you have maimed her. You must put yourself at her mercy and beg forgiveness before she ever comes across the idea that her benevolence is- unappreciated or perhaps even misplaced."

"The only thing in this Clan that is misplaced, is our faith in her and our belief in the rumors around her." Talon hissed and his clan-brothers paled and looked away from him, not wanting to be sucked into the hole that was his blasphemous and disrespectful speech. The Elder's eyes widened in shock and surprise at the young-blood's retaliation, "She is _just_ a _Lou-dte kalei*_!" The Elders and the Ancient gasped at the young-blood's words. The Leader stood up,

"Get out this instant." The Ancient hissed, "How dare you speak so rudely in front of us." He moved in front of the Leader's table, "Rumor or not, she is no Lou-dte kalei. Get out." When Talon didn't budge, the Ancient went over himself and towered over the young-blood, before lifting him to his feet by a handful of his dreadlocks and forcibly tossing the younger yautjha from the Hut. The Leader looked to the other two young-bloods,

"Do you share your clan-brother's sentiments?" The Leader asked darkly and the others stared at the two, awaiting an answer. They shook their heads in the torch-lit room of respected yautjha, "Do either of you have any questions or...problems? Alongside Brother Talon?"

"Excuse me," Slash spoke up and Dagger looked at him, trying to forget that their friend had turned on them. "Won't we be putting the White Woman in danger, transporting the Xenomorphs from the facility to Earth? Should we not leave her here on Yautjha Prime? She won against a River Ghost, yes, but she may not win against a xenomorph." The Leader nodded,

"Then you two will make sure not to fail at keeping her safe." The Leader said simply, "You may leave, an you will ensure that we will not come to harm again." With that, they left and quietly.

Near one of the larger bonfires, put out for the day, a small setting area had been made for the White Woman, who sat upon it with a tranquil smile on her face. Maybe of their clan-brothers and clan-sisters had gathered around the White woman to give her tribunes and offerings, along side thanks and blessings. In turn, she gratefully accepted them and gave them warm smiles. Slash and Dagger watched as their clan-kin touched her hair, her flesh, her dress and she did not object to their touchings as they were in the same manner that a religious zealot would touch their higher power; they were of devotion and peace, not harm.

As they approached, the murmurs of their clan-members grew louder but were still contained in whispers as they deposited their offerings, received a smile, gave her a prayer and received a gentle touch of her hand upon their foreheads in an orderly fashion; careful not to tax her. "Thanks be to the Black Warrior." "Bless you, White Woman." "Thanks be to you, River Lady." "I am humbled." "We are honored." "Blessed by the one of the Black Warrior." "Recover swiftly and stronger than before, Lady of the River." She offered each the same equal smile, paying no more or no less to each one, careful not to show favoritism and was not afraid of their appearances as most humans were. She welcomed them one and all, even the runts and the outcast within the Clan. She occasionally stood up and would walk over to one of the loners that had wandered loosely outside of the group before her, and hug them, touching them gently on the cheek or the shoulder as they were all much taller than she before she would sit back down.

An Apprentice walked over to them, a woman of black-hair and dark-eye, "You are the ones who saved the White Woman?" She asked them and the two nodded, "The Leader told me that she was to accompany you to pick your first xenomorphs?" The woman asked, worry written on her face.

"She is if she communicates." Slash said and the Apprentice sighed.

"Then she will go with you." The Apprentice voiced and looked up at them, "The Leader asked me to speak to her and I thought it difficult since she has not talked in any of our stories; but I was wrong." Slash and Dagger looked at one another as the Apprentice continued, "She speaks the language of Earth fluently, and can read and write in it. She understand the Yautjha language, is able to read most of it, and speaks some of it, however she is self-taught and it is all very...restricted. She will need a teacher if she is meant to fully grasp everything." She vocalized and the two young-bloods looked to her,

"How do you mean restricted?" Slash asked and the Apprentice beamed,

"It is limited to some subjects. Yautjha history she knows little of. She knows of our ranks and how they are achieved, however she has trouble remembering the order of them. She knows of many of our tactics by watching and many more of our rituals, but does not know when to execute a ritual or how to start the process." The Apprentice explained, "It seems she's watched many of our blooded Hunt on the Game Preserve and deduced everything she knows from watching them. She'll be a quick study, I'm sure."

"Did you ask her how she got here?" Dagger questioned and the Apprentice nodded, "What did she say of her past? How long has she been here?"

The Apprentice pursed her lips in a thin-line and slowly began to speak, "She cannot remember exactly when she arrived or how. The White Woman only remembers waking up in the forest of the Game Preserve and continued on by memory, however she cannot place where the memories came from. Similar to knowing an answer but not knowing how you came upon it. She did, however, recall that her dress used to have a, um, name patch on it, but it was ripped off sometime after she landed on the Game Preserve." The Apprentice said and shook her head, "Apparently, it had said 'E-V-A-1'."

"Is this a name common to Humans?" Slash questioned and the Apprentice looked to him,

"The name 'Eva' is common in some areas on Earth, yes- but there is no name like 'Eva 1'." The Apprentice voiced and added with a tone of concern, "However...some laboratories upon earth, name the first female of a species 'Eve' in reference to the first woman in the Bible. I think she may have been in a laboratory at some point."

"Why would she be in a laboratory?" Dagger asked and the Apprentice looked at him,

"Sometimes, humans put other humans in these laboratories to try and find cures to illnesses they have...and sometimes they conduct the same things on them that we do on the xenomorphs on Yah'n Khaiy IV." The Apprentice said the last possibility softly so only they could hear and they both turned away. They didn't want to hear is as much as the Apprentice didn't wish to offer it. "I must report to the Leader, excuse me." Slash and Dagger watched her walk off and frowned,

"My god, how could humans do such a thing?" Dagger said as the two young-bloods continued to watch the dwindling spectacle that was their clan-kin tending to the White Woman, who continued to smile. Slash patted him on the shoulder,

"Don't listen to what the Apprentice said. She came from a different time than the White Woman probably." Slash told him without an ounce of doubt.

The White Woman saved so many of them. There was no way she would have been in a laboratory, it was probably something else.

* * *

A/n: Oh, so, [Yah'n Khaiy IV] is a planet I just made up. If you find it in the Alien/Predator Canon, well shit son, i guess it's real, but I doubt it. However this IS canon:

[ _Lou-dte kalei]_ = The yautjha phrase in their language which translates over to "child-maker". As this is what females do, that is a given, but it is taken as a slang for calling them female but it's also an insult. The human equivalent of this term would be 'whore'.


	5. But She Knew

Seeking Salvation

Chapter 5

" But She Knew "

A feast had been held that night, to celebrate the White Woman's astoundingly quick recovery, to which she sat to the left of the Clan LEader with a smile on her face. The clan-sisters and mothers had made her a set of new clothes to replace the dress she once wore, deeming it unfit for the White Woman as it was shamelessly thin from how threadbare and worn it was, not to mention so brittle it crumpled into dust when one rubbed it together between their fingers.

The women had made her a shawl that covered her in it's entirety of soft grey fabric, and had given it a warm collar of white fur that rimmed the top of the shawl so it wound gently and loosely rest just above her shoulders, to give her enough neck room so it wouldn't choke they had fashioned her undergarments and a dress of soft leather to wear, finally giving her knee-high boots of soft leather and armor. The boots were held up by straps from the armor around the knee which extended down the front of the boot and was held together with little adjustable straps. Underneath the shawl as well, the women had sewn in armor into her dress, though the White Woman's shawl was risen high in the front enough to show her knees and boots, it swept to the floor in the back; which made it difficult to tell what the dress of leather looked like or what armor was upon it.

The Clan Leader was speaking english to the White Woman and thought everyone was relaxed and enjoying themselves, they tried to eavesdrop and decipher what they were talking about. Slash and Dagger themselves, sat a few seats away and next to the Apprentice, but they only knew a few words themselves. "What are they talking about?" Slash asked the Apprentice who looked up at them from her meal before looking over at the Clan Leader and the White Woman,

"Her mother, right now and-" The Apprentice listened in a bit longer, "Now they're talking about forgiveness."

"For what?" Dagger asked and the Apprentice listened in a bit more before voicing,

"He's telling her about a young-blood who verbally disrespected her-" The Apprentice said but Slash and Dagger knew who they talked of- Talon. "-and saying that she is to stay with you until she had forgiven you two for almost getting her killed."

Though they spoke long and feverishly, it was mostly the Clan Leader speaking to her; excited to share a language with her and to speak to her. From what they heard and many of their clan-brothers and sisters, the White Woman's voice was gentle upon the ears and sweet, but fair of justice and firm with stubbornness in some of the matters they talked of. The Clan Leader laughed throatily during their talks and the White Woman laughed gently behind the cover of her tan hand, making the rest of the clan jealous that they failed to know the language or else they'd maybe laugh too. As the Clan Leader took a swig of his drink he boomed, "Slash! Dagger! Come." The Two young-bloods got up and went over to the alpha male, standing to his right, "The White Woman tells me that the traps you set were very obvious," The Clan Leader chuckled and took a swig after another hearty laugh, setting his drink down before adding on in between laughter, "And that you must work on hiding them better!" Slash and Dagger laughed a bit nervously as the White Woman smiled up kindly at them before their Leader hissed, "Don't laugh, young bloods. If the White Woman can see your traps, then everyone else can too." The White Woman said something to the Leader who disagreed, "If I go easy on the young bloods, their next slip-up could cost them. They're young, my Lady, they must learn. You cannot pamper them." She frowned and said something else, the Clan Leader laughing but looked at the two males.

"The other young-bloods are already paired up, so I don't see a problem with you tagging along, my Lady." The Clan Leader said and grinned, "It's settled then; change of plan, youngin's, the Lady White will accompany you about the facility. She's quite eager to learn of how we modify our prey." She smiled at them, before he waved his hand at the ground towards them, "Sit." Slash and Dagger sat, dumbfounded as their Leader rose to his feet and boomed, "Quiet, my brothers and sisters! I wish to tell you of our River Lady from her own lips!"

The clans-brothers and clans-sisters hushed and sat down as the Clan Leader stood before them, arms outspread, "We have long wondered much of our fabled White Woman, and she has spoken to me; she has graciously quenched my thirst for answers in your name with the smile of a mother." He lowered his left hand to his chest where his heart resided, and offered his right hand to the White Woman who placed her hand in his and accept his offer to stand next to him as he continued,

"For many long years, perhaps centuries, we have wondered collectively how she knows of our need. How she knows of our will to live even though we would not deny the companionship of the Black Warrior. She has given me way to speak of how she knows of our vibrant desire to rise again." The Clan Leader said and his clan-kin eagerly and impatiently tolerated his dramatics for the moment, and he concluded, "She can feel it. From miles away, our Lady of the River can feel your pain ringing loud to her as if blown through a battle-horn. Your anguish, your pain, your regret; she hears it within herself as if the words were spoken in her ear by a lover. In your lost moment, she and our brothers and sisters who have laid by the river are of one heart." The White Woman looked away as he continued, "She understands that we wish honorable deaths, and though she cannot ask your forgiveness for keeping you all from the Black Warrior, she wishes you all to know that she has done it all with only the best of intentions; she believes that none of us should die within a place where we train, but upon a battlefield with honor as we ought to. As Leader of this Clan, I full-heartedly forgive the White Woman. Who stands with me?"

The clan erupted from stunned silence to cheers and praise, and the White Woman looked at them all and smiled apologetically at them all as she looked at them all, "It is settled then! Let us eat and enjoy the rest of the night!" The two sat back down and the White Woman smiles happily, saying something to the Clan Leader who laughed, "I am happy to be of service to you, my Lady. There was never a doubt in my mind that they wouldn't understand." The White Woman looked at Slash and Dagger and turned upon the cushion she sat on, to face them,

"Thank...you…" She said, speaking the words in their native tongue with difficulty but it didn't stop her from continuing, "Fo-for...hel-helping...me." She glanced at the Clan Leader as he ripped off a piece of meat from a large bone in his hands, speaking something to him and he shook his head, only replying after swallowing the portion of his meal.

"It came out rough, but yes, they heard you." The Clan Leader assured and looked at the two males pointedly as she smiled back at them, "You'll need to speak up more if you want to catch on." She looked timid on the subject but nodded, determined to try. The Clan Leader waved them off.

The two spent the rest of the night talking and eventually vanished into his hut as the night dwindled. In the morning, the Clan Leader was at the black smith's, looking over types of weapons with the scientist there. The Elders left multiple design drawings, the three of them looking over the drawings, "And something like this is able to be made?" The Clan Leader asked as Slash and Dagger walked up to the group, the White Woman nowhere in sight.

"With time, yes." The Blacksmith said and their scientist tapped a couple of the drawings, moving them together,

"We could work on combining these two- it would probably be more effective in battle for close range if it were able to be separated. It could also be a long-range weapon, were we to add some type of chain to it." The Scientist contested as the Clan Leader nodded,

"The more we add to it, the heavier it will be however, unless we were to find some way to use the lighter metals but even then, the staff would have to be made heavy-enough to withstand rigorous travel. If we added a chain, the weapon could be tossed a great distance and perhaps pulled back, but the staff would most likely have to be hollowed out to allow the easy transport and storage of the chain; the hollowing would weaken the metal, and the chain itself would be un-retractable by mechanical means unless we widen the width of the staff." The Blacksmith contested and the Leader nodded, "But should you wish it done, Black Dawn, we will figure it out."

"We will figure it out as a team, as we do everything else." The Clan Leader, Black Dawn, voiced before he noticed the two young-bloods. "A moment, brothers." The two bowed their heads and pulled away as the Leader turned ot the young-bloods. "Something on your mind?"

They grappled with the situation. The White Woman had gone to his hut and had not returned and was nowhere to be seen that morning. Dagger had pulled the short stick on bringing up the topic to their powerful and short-tempered leader; the one that suggested he had taken the White Woman as a mate for the night. As a Clan Leader, he had rights to any female of their clan and there was no restriction on how many times he could take a single female. It was his right to sire children, but- "The vessel is ready and the White Woman has not seemed to come from your hut." Dagger said boldly to force the words out and not draw them out. Black Dawn glared at the two of them, looking from one to the other,

"Are you suggesting that I took advantage of the River Lady?" Black Dawn asked slowly and dangerously, attempting to deter the young male from prying or holding his ground; but Dagger stood firm.

"No, I'm asking if you did." Dagger said shortly and their Leader crossed his arms,

"What I do is of no concern to you." Black Dawn growled, "But I would never disrespect a female, especially the White Woman, in such a way."

"And where did you sleep last night, Leader?" Dagger questioned and Black Dawn glared at him venomously,

"Upon the floor, where I belonged." Black Dawn uncrossed his arms and picked up the sketches upon soft skin, "And the Lady slept where she deserves; within my bed, upon my pillows and furs, _without me_." He turned his back to the young-bloods, "Though I give you some leeway for helping the White Woman, you wear my patience thin. Go."

The two left and looked around for the White Woman, their vessel ship ready to depart and so were they. As they wandered around looking for her, the White Woman wandered just out of their line of sight and to Black Dawn. She spoke to him softly as he looked at her before replying, "They're looking for you. Did you sleep well, my Lady?" He asked and she nodded, brushing her hand against the fur of her cloak as she looked at him with worry and spoke again, "Don't worry about them, my Lady, I'll take care of it." He looked her over. Aside from her cloak and boots, she wore a black body suit underneath which extended with an additional mask that she had pulled down, but covered her nose and mouth when pulled up, "I'm glad to see the clans-women have gotten you a thermosuit to wear when you visit the facility." He picked up a pair of goggles from the blacksmith's table, "The Blacksmith made these for you. It will take him time to make a mask like our warrior's, so for now please use these while it's made."

She gently took the goggles from him, examining them. It was of one piece with a leather strap in the back, riveted with holes and a buckle to adjust it. However the metal was sleek and black, as was the glass for the goggles. On the right side there were two small buttons, "Go ahead and try them on, I'd like to show you something before you leave." The White Woman put them on and adjusted the strap so they fit comfortably against her face, and they covered from her left ear to her right, allowing an almost unhindered view that barely differed from her normal one, besides the dark tint from the glass. "This top button here, is thermal." He said and tapped it, giving her a taste of the available view, "Tap again to turn it off." He did so to show the effect to her and she smiled at the innovativeness of such a simple wonder, "And the bottom one allows for zooming in." He showcased it too, before gently taking off the goggles and running his finger against a piece of metal that seamlessly was placed within the forehead of the goggles. "This metal here detects brainwaves to an extent- so while you are zoomed in, it will zoom where you want to look, given the waves from your brain, and will unzoom as well. Tap again to turn off." He tapped it one final time and gave the goggles back to her,

She smiled and spoke something and common and Black Dawn chuckled, "Yes, you're welcome, but it is also experimental. We only keep such technology for our Bio-Masks, however, it will help us if we know how it works on a smaller scale. I look forward to you telling me how they work for you." Black Dawn said and crossed his arms, the two young-bloods returning, "The longer you two take, the longer it will take you to become bloodied." He told them casually as they walked up and the White Woman loosely hung the goggles about her neck, letting them rest against the fur of her cloak.

"Good morning." Slash greeted and the White Woman nodded with an enthusiastic smile to share the sentiment, before the three walked over to the sleek black ship that was their vessel. The White Woman trailed behind and watched as Dagger slipped into the control seat, moving into the hangar bay behind Slash who hung back a little bit and hit the button that closed the hatch. The White Woman's gaze flickered to Dagger who was strapping himself into the seat and she trotted over to eagerly drink in his effortless movements across the strange keyboard to his left.

In front of him were four long levers that looked as if they should belong to some type of electrical device. The ship hummed with power as it charged up, a small screen above the driver's seat flicked on to life and showed a gauge in the bottom left that rose from the left to the right. The White Woman's eyes flickered to Slash who sat down in his own seat and buckled down, but then a loud whirring sound drew her attention to the screen again. The gauge had been charged and Dagger pressed another button on the keyboard, a soft mechanical whirring brought down a black sheet of protective metal from the ship's glass, slowly revealing Yautjha Prime bit by bit.

"Are you going to sit down?" Slash asked her and she shook her head, too enthralled and enticed by watching how to work and fly the vessel. "Then you should brace yourself." Slash voiced as Dagger put his hands on the larger and inner two levers, slowly pushing them gradually forward.

The ship steadily rose from the ground, the White Woman looked out the window to see that the large vents underneath the narrow wings were both projecting dense blasts of air, but she was more focused on what buttons and levers Dagger was pulling. He moved the levers up a little more, getting them higher off the ground gradually until they were above the trees, before moving his hands to the outer and slightly smaller two levers and move moving them forward. The White Woman looked out the window once more to see what was happening at the wings and saw the blasts of air turn hot and red with fire before propelling the ship forward and toward the atmosphere.

She looked to Dagger once more and watched as he flipped a trio of gleaming and thin-shaped silver switches, before the wings disappeared from the window. "Cloaking field is merely for protection." Dagger voiced as she looked worried while he focused on flying the damn ship.

They were at Yah'n Khaiy IV within the hour and the White Woman had taken to sitting on the cool metal floor, thinking to herself, when she heard it.

 _Death to them._ Images filled her head at a rapid pace as she stood up abruptly. pictures of the yautjha being torn apart and their body parts and innards tossed around with abandon. Their throats crushed within her teeth. Their screams a music to her ears from wherever these images came from. They were colored a pale blue of the future; they had not happened, but the sheer force of the images made her stumble a bit to catch herself and wobble backwards. _The yautjha will pay. Their lives…(their lives)...we need them. To balance out the debt. (Balance) ...And we will take them SOON._

They flew in the atmosphere of the plant, flying steadily close to the facility and lowering in altitude, but the White Woman twisted around to try and find the source of the gnarled and rage-filled voice in her head, which faded itself; but left the taste of blood in her mouth. It was coming from the hanger bay door, closed as they flew. "We're going to land in a few minutes." Dagger voiced,

" _Caution; Hanger Bay Door is opening."_ The navigation system in the vessel purred as Dagger looked at the screen that popped up, and Slash looked back.

The White Woman was on the edge of the door one second, and a fraction later as Slash yelled something towards her, she vanished into the pale grey clouds below the vessel; the tails of her cloak the only indication she had ever been there.


	6. Challenging Fate

Seeking Salvation

Chapter 6

" Challenging Fate "

She was falling and she was well aware of it. It was what she had wanted- no. It was what she _HAD_ to do. She couldn't wait for them. Not for another timid talk from them that she was still wounded and her leg hadn't fully healed, and they'd use it as an excuse to not give over the controls of the ship. There was no time. Even now as she fell through the clouds towards the ground, the White Woman knew she was short on time.

How did she know? She didn't recall. But it felt like- it was...foretold. As if she had seen this whole thing before and was remembering this part right now.

 _I can change it._ A small voice had said in the dark recesses of her, _WE can change it. But we have to do it now. We can't wait._

And so she jumped from the ship without hesitation and without thought.

She had spent every moment, taking care of the Yautja. Every wound of their bodies she healed. Every wound of their hearts, she mended. Every pain of their mind, she had eased. They were as much a part of her as she was of them; it was a fact she could find no origin for but she knew it to be true.

In the haze of her memories and her mind which blurred in a blank state, she knew there was strength there. Even watching them from afar she knew.

The yautja were determined hunters and chased prey on the verge of recklessness. Some for the thrill, some for the hunt, some for the knowledge. They were so deeply rooted within themselves and their own beliefs that they never questioned for a moment if she was some sort of evil being. They knew her for what she was; someone who only wanted the good. She had done what she could for them as they lay dying those unhonorable deaths. It was so little and it was never constant but they were so grateful and appreciative.

She had never expected them to find her and thought of the two little houses they made for her to be their way of saying 'thanks'. Never had she ever thought that they would find her in that abandoned ship. Not once. None of them had before, why should they? She thought her "home" was invisible and perfect.

A perfect safehouse. A perfect tomb.

The night she wounded her leg and limped off, she smiled over the tribunes they left for her. They were mindless trinkets to everyone else, maybe trophies to some of them- but to her, they were stories. Each one she could tell how it came to be and smiled, listening to each and every one, eating the food they left for her.

She had done her part. Her story was done.

It was time for her to admit defeat and accept the death that was creeping closer.

She had propped herself up against the wall to welcome the Black Warrior. Her wound was clean but too much blood had been lost. Her head twisted her vision from blood loss and she had difficulty standing right without collapsing. She had thought it time that her life ended. And she was contented, staring at the small pile of tribunes in the corner with the occasional glance at the lantern she had stolen away from the new homes made for her to the one home she made for herself.

It would be her last night. She didn't want to spend it alone- and though the fire was not another being, it was...comforting? Perhaps.

And then she heard them.

She heard the unspoken words that they had come for her. With good intentions and with the desire to help. And they shut the doors but she could see through the thick layers of dust and grime as they lifted the other door out of the way. Perhaps, today was not the day, she had thought. They picked her up and carried her off but she wanted them to bring the tribunes.

The yautja were superstitious- but so was she. And she thought those tiny trinkets had brought her this new fate. And she would not let them be tossed aside and forgotten. Any of them.

In the present, she vacantly watched for several long moments as the vessel did a flip in mid-air before twisting around and straightening out while she continued to fall. They wanted to help her and her eyes narrowed in stubborn determination.

She needed to help them first.

She twisted about until she was pointing-head first at the ground, the facility growing in size beneath her. The winds lashed and cut at her exposed ears and what was exposed of her face; they were very little prices to pay, if it was the fee to save the lives of their yautja brothers. One she would pay a thousand times over.

When the ground was closer she could see the facility clearly, sprawling over acres and acres of land, a winding place of metal and large enclosures against a frigid landscape. Black dots that had watched her were growing bigger and bigger as her landing area grew in size and clarity.

What were those strange, skeleton-like beings that watched her without eyes? _Xenomorphs._ Her mind answered.

The vessel turned away, too low to the ground to not cause damage, and she grabbed the folds of her cloak and held her arms out to make a parachute as the wind was caught in her cloak. The Xenomorphs hissed and backed away, making a circle for her to land in unintentionally. As soon as her heel touched the ground, she somersaulted to avoid injury and stopped on her knees, lifting her face to come inches away from a Xenomorph's face.

And it's black lips pulled back from it's dirty white teeth as a growl rose from it's throat. A singular sound that began a chorus of others in it's wake.

* * *

Dagger had tried flying the ship as close as he could to the White Woman but she had fallen too quickly for him to even maneuver catching her in the aircraft. He quickly pulled away as they almost hit the facility itself while Slash freaked out and yelled about the White Woman and the Facility and the danger.. "SHUT UP!" Dagger snarled while he tried to make a secure landing amid the navigation's blaring alarms about the door being open and Slash's horrified wail that he had killed the White Woman and, in turn, Black Dawn would kill him. Very gruesomely then return the favor to Dagger,

Thankfully, the more composed of the two was able to land safely if not turbulently, upon the landing platform, where he quickly unbuckled and punched Slash in the face. "SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Dagger snarled angrily before grabbing his bio-mask and his own fur-lined cloak and quickly pulled it on, Slash at his heels as the two rushed into the facility to be greeted by their bewildered clans-brothers.

"What's the meaning of this violent landing?" One of them demanded as Dagger pushed past them to run down the hallway towards the east holding pen for the sports-breed xenomorphs to move about and exercise. With no hosts for their seeds, they didn't seem to want to seed upon one another and weren't smart enough to organize. One of the guards posted at the platform roughly grabbed Slash by the arm and demanded an explanation of him,

"The White Woman is real- she was with us in our ship on our way here- but she jumped mid-flight and landed in one of the pens." Slash explained and the two men were shocked- and then alarms started blaring around the facility. The sounds of them were almost deafening but the guards pulled up the map of the facility.

The building itself was shaped like a square, with four square cut outs inside of it, in the center was the control room where they were now, and in the corners of the facility were sealed elevators to the catacombs below where the breeding took place. The four inner courtyards were the areas that the enhanced xenomorphs ran about and got their daily exercise, and in the corners of each corner of the facility- where the hydraulic platforms that lowered to the underground of the breeding facility- where the queens were kept. "Here, take a couple Nav-Locs." The Guards offered and tossed Slash and Dagger each one of the small, gun-like pieces of equipment.

The Xenomorphs from the facility were all tagged with trackers that emitted various signatures; all that the Nav-Loc, or the Tracker locators, could identify. If it wasn't one of theirs- the guns wouldn't go off. If it was, the little laser that the guns emitted would hit their skin and shine yellow, so that it can be distinguished against the black skin.

"Looks like one of the platforms broke- west hall-" One Guard voiced before his partner growled, "What the hell is that? Pull up the video, Majh." Slash and Dagger looked over as the video was pulled up for the hallway, showing a huge hole in the floor where a couple xenomorphs were pulling themselves up-

As they looked around, they were raising themselves up while on another camera feed, the White Woman was running down a seemingly separate corridor; A spear in one hand and a halberd in another. Behind were, a pack of Xenomorphs gallopped after her and behind THEM were a group of Blooded Guards for the Facility were running after them; Two of the guards were weaponless.

The White Woman appeared on the video feed with the rising xenomorphs and, in the blink of an eye, landed her foot into the head of the first Xenomorph that had pulled itself up. The blow knocked the creature backwards against the edge of the hole and it's tail lashed out viciously, wrapping around her ankle and with a revengeful tug, pulled her down towards the hole as it fell back down. In a quick and brutal counter, the White Woman opened her mouth in what seemed to be a snarl as she tossed the spear downwards as she fell and vanished from view.

The other Xenomorphs in the hall jumped down the hole as well, followed closely by their keepers who fearlessly jumped down into the oblivion. "The White Woman." The guards whispered while Slash and Dagger picked up Weapons,

"Those passageways, brothers, are they lit?" Dagger asked and the guards collected themselves and their own weapons, pulling on their biomasks,

"Yes- at all times, with Xenomorph-proof metals." The Guards answered before Slash and Dagger put on their own biomasks and ran down the hallways to the opening in the ground.

They jumped down and landed deftly on the metal floor of the Under Hive; the beginning of the underground network of the hives they artificially replicated for the Xenomorph Queens. There were 4 in total, all securely kept locked with the hydraulic platforms, however as the four stood up and looked around they realized why this singular platform had been taken down.

A Xenomorph corpse laid next to the hydraulics system- its acidic blood had splattered on the mechanisms that kept the platform functioning properly. From the long scratches and gouges in the platform's metal, it seemed once the floor malfunctioned that the Xenos make it a top priority to pull the platform down to where it lay now; crumpled and pushed to the side. However, before them were the many bodies of freshly killed Xenomorphs; and one lay with a deep stab wound to the head, just beside where they stood. Still warm as Slash brushed a hand against it's lifeless body. "So many in such a short time." Dagger murmured and one of the guards began to hit the bodies with the Nav-Loc was they descended the metal slope of carnage towards the Under Hive.

"Only two." The Blooded Guard voiced, "This one and that one...they're our Xenomorphs. Facility ones." Slash looked at the other 8 bodies.

"Then...where did these ones come from?" Slash wondered aloud before there was a loud shriek and the four began running deeper into the Under Hive. The team of four turned a corner of the metal hallway which gave away to a slope of packed soil, their yuatjha brothers finishing off a couple Xenomorphs while a small pack shrieked and roared down the slope behind the fleeting image of the White Woman, "Brothers!" The Guards called and the other yuatjha looked up as they grouped up,

"The White Woman is real!" One of them called and Dagger piped up,

"We came as quickly as we could- Is she harmed?" Dagger asked as the guards pulled their weapons out of the xenomorph corpses,

"Not that we could tell." One of the others voiced, "She stole our weapons from the East Guard Room and just- ran off. The Xenomorphs from the eastern pen were running after her and we followed." The guard explained as the group descended quickly, following a lagging xenomorph. One of the guards hit it with the Nav-Loc and it's skin shimmered a bright yellow before it quickly disappeared down another sloping corner.

"We saw the xenomorph at the entrance down- it wasn't ours." Majh, one of the first guards, voiced, "See what happened to it?"

"It grabbed her leg and she speared it." One of the Blooded said simply, "Took the spear and ran off before the others could get her." They continued to run forward and the snarls and growls of the xenomorphs became clearer and louder. As they rounded another corner, they came to an abrupt stop at the scene.

In the tunnel, A Queen Xenomorph, emaciated for even their kind, stood at the other end of the hallway under the pale white lights that illuminated the tunnel, two bigger xenomorphs next to her, and a pack of maybe 10 or 12 xenomorphs before her. In front of them, was the White Woman, spear and Halberd in hand, surrounded by an equal pack of xenomorphs. The Queen hissed and backed away as if cornered and the White Woman let out a feral hiss past her parted lips, the Xenomorphs around her growling and moving towards the other xenomorphs in a territorial manner.

The guards quickly Nav-Loc'd all of the Xenomorphs before them and confirmed something alarming and strange; The 'cornered' Xenomorphs were not tagged.

They were not part of the Under Hive, and in short, they were intruders. Where they had come from, they didn't know- but Slash and Dagger knew one thing;

That the opposing xenomorphs lunged forward in a desperate attempt at freedom and the White Woman rushed forward alongside the other xenomorphs. In a heart-racing moment, they clashed like waves of black and blue with a single speck of white and tan.


	7. Takes More Than Courage

A/N: Ladies and Gentlemen, before you read this chapter, I want to apologize for both the delay and the terrible battle scene which CAUSED the delay, as I'm terrible when it comes to fights. If you do not have the patience for this story, then that is your choice, but though the story is progressing slowly I do do with great reluctant and great purpose.

Again, sorry, and enjoy.

* * *

Seeking Salvation

Chapter 7

"Takes More Than Courage"

It was in these moments, that flashed by like lightning, that Slash and Dagger truly saw it.

Perhaps the had numbed themselves to the possibility for they had chalked everything up to coincidence like their clans-brothers and clan-sisters.

But in these slowed moments with two packs of xenomorphs and two leaders, clashing like good and evil, it seemed to show in it's most potent form.

How utterly powerful a woman was.

There was a drawn out yell in the slow move of time as the White Woman ran forward, surpassed only by the xenomorphs at her heels; the bodies darting forth like serpentine-ing and sleek predators and slamming into their feral counterparts like two waves of oil. Teeth and snarls alight as the untamed guards of the Hive Queen teetered from side to side as their powerful legs sluggishly pushed them into a good form to start galloping as black forms clashed and slammed into each other in the White Woman's path.

But it was not soon enough.

The two guards flanked the fighting Xenomorphs; one on the left and one on the right. As they drew closed, a stray Xenomorph launched itself from the fray, arms open and claws wide and primed. With a shriek it propelled itself onto the left Solider Xeno like a raptor of war and too the creature down; and the White Woman jumped up. Her foot landing on one of the fighting Xeno's heads just long enough to propel herself forward towards the right-flaking Xeno that screamed at her in defiance.

And her answer to it's blatant show of disrespect came in the form of a spear, spearing it through the mouth and head that it lifted towards her.

Amid running stride, it collapsed into the swarm of black bodies and knocked friend and foe to the ground; but it was forgotten as the White Woman yelled and charged at the thin Queen. The female's own screech of battle as it began to make a desperate and pathetic attempt to charge at the White Woman.

While the Predators moved to try and join the fray and perhaps even the odds in the White Woman's favor, she gave no mind to them or the much larger foe before her and fell to a skidding slide down the metallic tunnel.

And they watched as she held the halberd with both hands, and swung with the fury of a Valkyrie, just before passing under the Queen.

A biting bellow of immeasurable pain and agony fell from the south end of the tunnel where the two females engaged.

And the Queen slammed forward into the ground, with the speed her strong legs had tried to carry her on to add to the crash. The acidic blood splashing against the ground.

The Queen pushed up from the ground with her front arms, arching her body and turning it to look back at the smaller female as another roar of agonize passed her sharp white teeth and slick black gums. And as she raised her head and exposed her thin neck a silver flash flickered across the thin black skeletal structure.

Roars and shrieks of fury from the feral xenomorphs filled the air as the Predators watched the body collapse to the floor.

The White Woman standing upon the Queen's shoulders as it's head from from its severed neck.

Xenomorphs turned to attack her and charged at her, but in the disarray it made them easy to distinguish who was friend and who was foe- and the Predators caught most of them off guard; a few making it over to the White Woman, who fearlessly held the halberd in both tanned hands once more and ran towards them. She slashed at the smaller ones, getting one in the side before another retaliated by tossing her aside with a heavy blow from it's powerful tail, knocking the wind from her and having her sailing back over the body of their dead Queen.

The tagged Xenomorphs, larger in number now, jumped onto the feral ones and their pained shrieks rose as they were taken down and savagely attacked. Xenomorph against xenomorph. However, something else arose- pieces.

Claws and teeth and tails; a fury of blacks and dark blues attacking and piling on specific spaces. Black bits and parts tossed in the air and aside from the areas where the xenomorphs were piled. Wails and roars short-lived as vocal cords were devoured and skulls smashed in; inwards sucked down ilk throats that were virgin to the taste of brother and sister. The Predators stood to the side with the exception of Slash and Dagger, who maneuvered around the horrid sight to find the White Woman. Quickly and clumsily averting burning themselves upon the spilled blood of their longest and most ancient rivals.

They found her at the end of the tunnel, upon the floor, separated from the weapon she had stolen from the Guards. Laying on her side as the pooling blood slowly moved towards her, it's pace faster than the Predators charged with her care as it bit into her thermo-suit. Dagger acted quickly lifted her up as she moaned in protest. "Quick!" Slash hissed in pain as he ripped off the affected cloth that burned him and tossed it aside before the two moved away from the blood to set her on her feet as she groaned and leaned against them.

"Brothers." One of the guards alerted them and Dagger and Slash looked over.

12 lithe forms staring at the three. "They're ours." One of the guards said, but the genetically altered Xenomorphs stared at the trio.

What was left of their untampered brethren in unknown piles left upon the floor beneath their bony feet. Their teeth, coated with specks and flecks of black skin from their grotesque meal, parting as they released hostile hisses. The White Woman adjusted her footing as the two Predators stiffened while they cautiously moved around the dead bodies they hadn't bothered to eat, and towards the Trio.

Slash pulled out a dagger while Dagger pulled out his shuriken- and the White Woman pushed away from them, walking toward the Xenomorphs, "WAIT!" Slash said in a panic as he grabbed her arm to pull her back; and the chorus of hisses rose a sharp octave or two. She turned towards him as gently patted his arm,

"It's… Ok." The Words were slow and paced, but they were in their language, and the White Woman pulled her arm away and moved towards the Xenomorphs. The pack stopped in union and watched as she approached them as one would approach a much larger and wild predator.

After several minutes, she was less than a few inches from them, and they continued to watch, and parted their ranks, letting her walk into the middle of their little group- and she lowered herself to her knee. The Predators held their breath as they watched her drop to another knee-

And watched the Xenomorphs as they moved tighter around her and nudged her.

Their hissing stopping, and she reached up and ran a nervous hand over one of their sleek black heads. It didn't bite her, and it moved into her touch. She gained more confidence and reached out another hand to pet another one. They quieted and they allowed the petting and she softly murmured to the creatures, which nudged her sides and arms when they deemed themselves neglected. Slash and Dagger approached her, the Xenomorphs nearest to them turning on them and hissing when they grew near; selfish of the new form of attention they were receiving. "River Lady, are you alright?" Slash ventured and she looked at him and nodded.

Gradually the Xenomorphs had began to lay down during the petting session, a couple still before her on all fours, and one of which she gently took their head in her hands and it tilted its head downwards as she put her forehead to it's head. "Good." She said in their language, looking at them and pointing to the tunnel where they came from, "Back?"

"Yes, they need to go back." Dagger said firmly and she nodded, slowly standing up- hissing erupting from the Xenomorphs as they quickly leaped back to their feet.

"SSH!" The White Woman hissed at them and they silenced, before she walked through their ranks once more towards the other end of the Tunnel- and they moved around her. Some following, some falling back, and some guesstimating where she intended to move in front of her. Like a dangerous bubble of protection floating around her as they walked calmly, occasionally snapping and biting at one another amid the travel but otherwise they showed no single of hostility towards the White Woman as Dagger and Slash stayed behind to collect the heads of their kills- and the White Woman's.

Black Dawn wouldn't believe their tale. Or how the White Woman's hands on the Xenomorphs seemed to calm them.

They quickly caught up with the slow ensemble of trotting and deceptively docile xenomorphs, the other Guards keeping close and directing her to the opening in the floor. When the reached it, however, the platform was still broken and their comrades still around. "We can't get out." One of the guards said, and the White Woman knelt once more to the Xenomorphs, making them all stop and wait. She took one of their heads in her hands and spoke her foreign language to it; soft, and gentle and slow. And when she released the Xenomorph, she stood up- and the Xenomorphs began to go back up the wall, back into the facility, only enough of the Xeno's left to equally number the Predators and the White Woman.

Slash and Dagger watched as two of the Xeno's wrapped their long tails loosely and unsure around two of the predators, and the White Woman spoke something, making their grip tighten, before the Xenomorphs climbed up and out of the hive tunnel and lifted the guards with them- Another going the same for the White Woman. The left over Xeno's giving the same service to Slash and Dagger, and pulled them into the guard of Xenomorphs and Predators all awaiting Slash and Dagger. And When they were there, the Xenos were quick to regroup with the White Woman and receive their congratulatory petting on a job well done.

"My lady?" One of the Guards questioned and she looked at him- and the Xenomorphs looked at him too, baring their white teeth to the Guards. "It's an honor to meet you."

"White Woman." Dagger said firmly and she looked at him, their Xeno's following the motion, "Can you lead them to where they came from?"

After a few long seconds, she nodded, and brushed her hands among the black masses around her, before moving forward and they continued their almost escort-like circle, the Predators following closely to ensure her safety, passing by one of the control rooms as an annoying beeping sound arose from it. Growing louder and louder as they drew closer and closer. "That's Yautja Prime." Majh voiced and went forward, flicking a switch and tapping a button to answer it,

" _This is Clan Leader Black Dawn from Yautja Prime."_ The familiar voice of their leader came through and Dagger and Slash nervously stood by, " _An emergency alarm was raised; I sent two of my young-bloods and a female to your facility. What is the condition of your emergency?"_

The second guard flipped a few switched on the control panel and pulled down two levers as a small display showed a red screen, which turned to green when the levers were pulled fully to a resting position. "The situation is under control, Leader; We are turning off the alarm now." The Second guard gave Majh an affirmative nod as he concluded, "Casualties are Xenomorph-only."

" _Confirmed. Let me speak to one of the young-bloods."_ Dagger moved toward the machine before slash could,

"This is Dagger, Clan Leader." Dagger voiced and added on, "The White Woman is safe and sound; We're alright too."

" _Collect their weakest and bring the Daughter of White back here. We will determine whether or not to proceed with your First Hunt upon your arrival."_ The intercommunication device cut out and ended the transmission as Dagger stood up and looked at Slash, before they looked at some of the blooded guards as they brought back the heads of the kills.

Including the White Woman's. "Should I come and vouch for you, brothers?" Majh offered and Dagger waved a dismissive hand,

"No need, Brother. We have the White Woman." Dagger assured and pointed to the video screens, where a few of the blooded guards were repairing a wall as the White Woman stood there and the Xenomorphs watched, moving around as if waiting for another chance to strike. Anxious. "Think that will hold?"

"They put in the holders for a Plasma Barrier, so that will fend them off long enough for our brothers to fix the damage to the wall." Majh assured before concluding, "We needed to fix them anyways, but with the sport Xenomorphs, it gets a bit… tricky."

"Could you get a cage in on the ship and put it over the drop hatch while we go and pick a couple?" Slash asked and Majh nodded,

"We'll put one up. Why are you picking your Xenos from here?"

"...Our other Clan-Brother disrespected the White Woman. In front of the Elders,, the Leader, and an Ancient." Slash said quietly and Majh pulled away from the controls,

"They told you to pick the weakest from here? With the White Woman? She shouldn't even be here, she should be somewhere- well- never mind." Majh sighed and walked off, "We'll go get the cage." With that, he and two other blooded guards left as Slash and Dagger went to the pen where the White Woman had led the Xenomorphs back.

She quietly watched them and looked up at the others came back, "My Lady, are you alright?" Slash asked and she smiled and nodded,

"They seem to like you." Dagger commented dryly and she shook her head in a 'no' before looking at them, the other blooded guards working on repairing the wall,

"Maybe." She said slowly in their language and looked at the xenomorphs which looked back at her curiously before she stroked one of their heads slowly and the recipient let out a low and almost pleasurable growl.

"We need the 3 weakest. To hunt." Slash said gently and she nodded, "Could you find them?" The White Woman looked a bit worried before looking at the Xenomorphs and they stared back at her, watching her every move like birds of prey.

She slowly walked forward and touched the shoulders of the working yautja and they paused, parting and offering their hands ot let her back into the area where the genetically-altered Xenomorphs were. They crowded around her, nudging and poking her as she ran her hands around and touched their heads, softly murmuring to them. She sat down and put her forehead to theirs, one by one, spending several minutes doing so. Dagger and Slash watched tensely as did the other guards, as she gracefully stood up and touched the heads of three of them before walking out of the hole in the wall- and the xenomorphs cautiously following behind her. "These." She said softly, "Good."

"We do not NEED good ones, My Lady, we NEED weak ones." Dagger said, and the raise in his tone made the Xenomorphs snarl at him to which she was quick to shush them. They chirped and nudged her hands which absently pet them as Majh returned to alert them that their ship was ready. "We need them to go into the cage, on the ship." Dagger explained slowly as he watched one of the larger Xenomorphs warily, and she nodded. "And you can not go jumping out of the ship this time." She shook her head.

The two young-bloods went to the ship first, a heavy black cage in the ship, and opened it up for the White Woman as she calmly walked to the cage, her pace checked by the Xenomorph as they snapped and hissed at her if she walked too quickly. After a long wait, she sat in the cage and the xenomorphs followed obediently once more and laid down as she sat down, the young-bloods locking her in before tending to the ship and it's take off.

As the hanger bay door closed, she smiled and held one of the Xenomorph's heads and whispered a subtle gesture to them. "Thank you."


	8. And More Than Strength

Seeking Salvation

Chapter 8 - " And More Than Strength"

The ship landed back on Yautja Prime and slowly lowered itself; clans-brothers and clan-sisters who still resided in that area had gathered anxiously to the landing area. Headed by Black Dawn, the Ancient, and the Elders, who were all waiting to bestow judgement on the two Young Bloods who had put their enlightened guest in harm's way.

However, as the hatch lowered to the ground while the ship landed firmly and soundly on it's devices, the first thing they were met with-

Were the rolling skulls of Xenomorphs as they rolled down the hatch ramp and down to the leaders' feet.

1 Hive Queen's skull, 1 Praetorian skull, and 6 drone skulls. 8 trophies in total.

Their kin stared and murmured at the sight of the skulls and Black Dawn looked up as Dagger and Slash walked down. The White Woman next to Dagger, her cloak in tatters and her thermo suit cut and ripped in places underneath, but her head was held high. "What is the meaning of these?" Black Dawn asked as the kin behind him silenced themselves to hear one of the Young Blood's explanation. And Slash, the more merciful of the two, spoke up.

"They are the skulls of the White Woman's kills." Slash said and a collective gasp arose, "These are the xenomorphs that our Daughter of the River killed. And we witnessed first hand her ferocity with a blade when these unmarked xenomorphs snuck into the breeding facility and attacked those within; We witnessed her kill the praetorian and the Queen herself; with no help from us except the weapons she picked off the guards."

Inside the ship in the cage, the xenomorphs that had followed the White Woman hissed and snarled, fighting against the bars and making their kin tense.

"She jumped from our ship to the facility- and when we next saw her, xenomorphs followed her into battle." Dagger spoke up, "Xenomorphs from our breeders; followed her into battle against the unknown xenomorphs with the same loyalty as our hunting dogs, and lashed out at their own kin beside her. And when the battle was over, they surrounded her and followed her as if she had raised them by hand."

The Ancient put his hand on Black Dawn's shoulder and pulled him back to speak softly to him, before releasing the Leader, "Meeting. Now." Black Dawn said firmly and gestured to his tent, the three making their way to it as the on-looking clans-members murmured with distaste and begrudgingly parted to allow them to go through. They touched the White Woman as she passed by and she tried to return the favor to as many as she could before walking through the flap that the Ancient held up for her to pass through. Dagger and Slash knelt down, ready for their scolding as the Ancient looked the White Woman over before slowly lowering her into a comfy chair. He nodded to the Leader who crossed his arms and looked at the two young bloods. "Your orders were very clear and so ever simple, young bloods." The Leader started slowly as the Ancient stood in the White Woman's flanks. "Go and get the 3 weakest xenomorphs to hunt for your Rite of Passage Hunt, and return the White Woman. I do not think it could get any easier."

He slowly came around his desk and circled them like a creature of prey,

"On your way back, I was briefed by the Head of Security at the facility. You _engaged_ modified xenomorphs, and you put the White Woman in harm's way, once again."

"We did no such thing." Slash vocalized as the Leader stopped in front of them,

"How dare you-" Black Dawn started as his temper flickered higher than it normally would; a small flame flaring from the winds of the events that he had been told. But an unusual voice cut in, "It was me."

All of the Predators in the tent looked over at the White Woman, who uneasily stood up from her seat and wobbled a bit; but righted herself and stood firm like a tree as soon as she had done so. "I...I jumped from the ship." As the Ancient began to say something she put a hand on his arm to silence him. An action that instantly took its desired effect and she looked at Black Dawn, walking forward and standing in front of the two young bloods protectively, "It was not them." The Ancient knelt down next to her and she looked at him as he put a hand on the arm of the seat,

"My Lady, you are still injured. You could have hurt yourself." He told her quietly, but normally warm smile faded into a look of seriousness, as she put a hand on the side of his face. Unabashed in their looks for she knew their hearts. "Why would you do something like that?" He asked and she looking into his eyes,

"I do for my people." The White Woman said firmly and slowly, to make sure to get every word right. "Nothing else." The words were simple and a bit rough in their language; but the weight carried by them was indescribable. She pulled her hand away and leaned over, kissing the Ancient's brow softly and pulling away as she put her hands back in her lap.

"I would feel much more comfortable if you would let the Healer look at you." Black Dawn told her and she looked at him, "It was a rough fight, was it not?" She held her head high and with regal manner as she told him something in her native tongue- something the likes of which made Black Dawn tense a bit. "The young-bloods put you in danger, once more. There must be punishment for that and the fact that they did not pick the three weakest-"

"I picked." She said firmly and the other Predators tensed as she looked Black Dawn in the eye; her own eyes darkening. As if challenging him to test her decision. She told him something in the foreign tongue again and Slash and Dagger looked at Black Dawn for his answer.

"I suppose." He slowly admitted and looked at the young-bloods, "The xenomorphs the White Woman picked out will do. You will carry on with your Rite of Passage as usual, and leave tomorrow; as a pack." Black Dawn moved and went behind his desk again, "We will convene on whether or not the White Woman will be blooded."

"She killed a Queen." Slash said and gestured to her, "She should be blooded."

"She is our deity." Black Dawn growled as he slammed his fist down on his desk, "She is not to be harmed, and you two _idiots_ seem to make it your duty to test her limits of endurance which is un- _fucking_ -acceptable. This was to be a _tour_ not a brawl." Black Dawn said and pointed to the young bloods before gesturing to the White Woman who watched him, "She was supposed to learn about how the process goes and get a better grasp for our language and customs, but you throw her into a xenomorph fight? The acid alone could hurt her, did you not _think!?_ " The White Woman stood up and said something to him- and Black Dawn, caught up in the vortex of his own answer, turned it towards her, "They need to save themselves, Lady of the River, you cannot coddle them." The Ancient rose and moved the White Woman behind him with a gentle and ushering move of his right arm, before his left hand grabbed the Leader's neck and lifted him off the ground.

The White Woman looked hurt as the Ancient's words overpowered the gurgling of the young Leader, "You will not turn your anger upon the Lady of the River, Black Dawn; The Elders and I will not stand for the blatant disrespect you are showing her." With a choked affirmation the Ancient set the younger male down, "Do not be so ungrateful as to bite the hand that saved you." The Ancient turned to the young bloods, "Go, younglings, and prepare. You will leave tomorrow." The White Woman put a hand to the Ancient's face with worry over her features, to which he responded by gently removing her hand and holding it between his own, "I ask for you to extend your patience upon us." She smiled warily but nodded.

The White Woman went over to Black Dawn and touched his arm, looking at him in the eye and said something in their language, before following the two young bloods out. 'I forgive'.

However, as soon as they exited, Slash and Dagger's kin were quick to approach- the females, especially, loomed close to the White Woman, "We made a tent for her, Brothers." One of the females spoke up and another added, "You've ruined her clothes!" Slash guided the White Woman towards the Healer's Tent and opened the flap for her as Dagger kept himself between the females and the two. Slash holding the tent flap open for her before letting it fall behind her. The two young-bloods waited outside before the Healer came out after a while, "Young blood." They both looked at the Healer, "Fetch the Leader for me." Slash went off to do so as Dagger looked at him,

"What did you find?" Dagger inquired and the Healer looked at him as Black Dawn and Slash came over in their direction.

"It's what I didn't find, youngblood." The Healer said simply before moving aside to let Black Dawn in and keep Slash out. The flap falling closed behind them as the two officials moved to stand in front of the White Woman. "Her thermosuit is slashed and cut; and degraded." The Healer explained as Black Dawn sulking as kept his eyes averted from the White Woman, and the Healer brushed his fingers against the damaged thermosuit. The White Woman stayed still, besides when she shivered and let out a small sound at the coldness of his hands when they gently moved the burned parts of her thermosuit; "What do you see?"

"Nothing." Where there should have been burns of second and first degree from the acidic blood of the xenomorphs; there was nothing.

No blisters. No boils. Not even redness.

"My Lady, could you please repeat what you told me?" The Healer asked and she nodded,

"Fight was…Mmm…" She paused as she made fast motions with her hands to replace the words she didn't know, and when Black Dawn offered 'fast' she smiled and nodded, "Blood hit me. Alot." The Healer looked at Black dawn who stared at her, trying to piece her broken speech together before she spoke to him in the human's tongue and he nodded,

"There is no kin's blood. No Xenomorph blood." The Healer said to him softly and Black Dawn looked over the White Woman himself. Her thermosuit was ripped and torn in places from the fight, but beneath her soft flesh held no wounds. "These edges are marred in only a way that burning could allow, Black Dawn." Black Dawn's eyes lifted from the damaged cloths and to the White Woman's- who's own gaze flickered up from the same point to meet his.

They held fire of the most primal nature. As if they were challenging him to voice what he wanted to question; her heritage. And her loyalty. But he doubted the fire was because of her heritage. "A decision will be made." Black Dawn said with seemingly no real reason to the Healer- but it held it's weight to the White Woman. Who held her chin up as he walked out to rejoin the others in his own tent; his kinsfolk watching anxiously and with worry.

And they waited. And waited.

The White Woman exited the Healing tent first and sat among them as they waited.

A tentative thirty minute span passed. Then an hour. Then another short span of it's half.

And then Black Dawn emerged from the tent, followed by the Ancient and the Elders. Their decision made and solidified over several heated debates; forged in the cold hardness of fact. The Elders held up the skulls of the Xenomorph kills the White Woman had made.

"We have decided." Black Dawn voiced as the females and males looked on,

"The White Woman has always cared for us and today, from the reports and information we have collected, we know it was no different. She threw herself, mid-flight, from one of our ships." There was a mixed gasp of horror and worry as he held a hand up, "She did so to stop a premeditated attack upon our people that she witnessed in a vision. At the cost of her own health and her own well-being. The White Woman's determination to keep us from harm, turned xenomorphs of ours to her side, and she led them into battle against those that meant our brothers and sisters at the facility harm." The yautja let out a variety of positive sounds and expressions and Black Dawn turned to his left where the Skull of the Queen was, and on his right was the skull of her guardian. "The White Woman fought and- single-handedly- beheaded a Xenomorph Queen. She killed the Queen's Guard as well. And the opposing xenomorphs that meant ill-will." Black Dawn held up his arms as he gestured to all the skulls behind him,

"Brothers. Sisters. Doubt not your faith in your legend; for these are her trophies." Black Dawn said loudly, and the tenseness in the air vanished, replaced by the electricity of a speech that could send them to battle.

"This. Is. Your. Deity." Black Dawn boomed, "These are not her _trophies_ alone; they are the concrete evidence of her loyalty to us. They are the solidified promise of her wrath against those that mean us harm." The yautja cheered their praises before Black Dawn held his palms to them until they quieted.

"Thought she may not be of our flesh or our blood; and has not been initiated as one of us, we will do so now; We have decided that she will be Bloodied. She has killed a Queen and therefore, she is one of us. She will be induced into the trio with the two young-bloods who helped her; Slash and Dagger." Black Dawn announced and the two named predators relaxed, "She will be marked and continue with her tribesmen as they attend their Rite of Passage on Earth. They leave tomorrow for their passage- but tonight, we celebrate their safe return and our River Lady's victory!"

Cheers arose and booms of laughter and happiness as they surrounded the White Woman; spreading congratulations and good wishes upon her as she blessed them and thanked them wholeheartedly. Many helped with the celebration preparations for a large feast and Slash and Dagger gave their own praise.

 _However, Readers, it would be the last happy memory for quite some time._


	9. To Rewrite

Seeking Salvation

Chapter 9- To Rewrite

The feast was abundant, the conversation lively and uplifting, the company cheerful, and the Leaders appeased in their decision.

The tribeswomen had made new clothes for the White Woman for her to wear while her other clothes were being repaired. The elders had vocalized amid the bonfires and food, that she would have her own armor and bio-mask upon her return from the young-blood's Rite of Passage. One she would supervise to learn more of their ways and go along with so that she would, by way of their laws, be a proper Blooded of their kind.

It encouraged the other trios of young-bloods, who would set out alongside Dagger and Slash, to do their best.

Not only because the White Woman could do it- but because she had done it for them. She had killed their prey to keep their brothers and sisters safe, despite not being their size or having their overall strength.

The Blooded brothers and sisters of the clan were exhilarated to know she fought with them and among their ranks; many believing she should be higher ranked for having collected more heads than Slash and Dagger combined. However, when Black Dawn spoke to her in her language about it, she politely declined.

She didn't want to be put above them, she wanted to grow with them. However, as the night winded down she made her way to the ship where the xenomorphs were. Slash and Dagger following. The xenomorphs hovered around the sides inside the cage as she came over, watching everything from the lowered hanger bay door and the confines of the cage. Dagger hesitated by the cage door with the key in his hand. "You're sure?" He questioned her and she looked up at him and nodded, before Dagger unlocked the door and pulled it open- the xenomorphs hissing and chittering.

The White Woman put her hands into the cage first, tall enough to keep the creatures comfortable and talk enough for the yautja to easily walk in. As she did now. The xenomorphs backed up enough to let her in before she slowly sunk down and the creatures followed her movements and Dagger moved to shut the door. "No." She voiced in their language and he paused, looking at her,

"They would leave." Slash pointed out and she looked at him next before shaking her head.

"No." She said again, one of the xeno morphs pushing its head under her arm, letting her wrap said arm around it's neck and head, petting it slowly and soothingly with her free hand, "Scared." She patted it as she said the word, before gesturing to the other two that patiently waited her affections as well, "All scared."

"How do you know?" Dagger asked and the White Woman looked up at him, "That they're scared?"

"I… feel you." She told the two of them, meeting their eyes as she said it, before releasing the xenomorph and letting another take it's place and chitter contently while she scratched it under the chin and stroked it's sleek head. "I feel them." She patted the xenomorph's head, "Hot. Quiet." The White Woman offered palm to Slash as a gesture to himself, "Cold. Firm." After a few long moments, she released the second Xenomorph and let the third and final one put it's head in her lap and she began to gently pet it as well.

"...Do they know?" Slash asked and she looked at him quizzically, "That we must kill them?" She frowned then looked to the xenomorphs and the one that happily hissed in her lap.

After a few minutes, the answer came slow and cracked; as if it pained her to say it. "Yes." She leaned down and hugged the xenomorph's head and said in the same tone, "Brave to come. Scared to leave." She released the xenomorph after a while, standing up gracefully and smoothly and the xenomorphs watched her closely but didn't move to follow. As soon as she had stepped out of the cage, Dagger shut it and locked it. She looked back at the Xenomorphs sadly and they watched as the two young-bloods led her away from them and to the tent that their kin had made for her.

It was a fine and large tent, thick plush furs laid down over a firm and smooth dirt floor, and incense burning about various areas of the tent gave off a tranquil smell of something similar to lavender and myrrh. Tanned hides made up the walls, tightly pulled between 10 thick and sturdy poles of carved wood. The trinkets she held so dear, were strung from the top poles which held up the ceiling around the hole in the top of the tent above the dug-out fire pit that would let out any smoke a fire she lit may give off. Lanterns of dyed hides of animalistic kills were tightly pulled over rips of curved bones to provide soft and vibrant glows to her new 'little' home that had a circular radius of 20'. Large articles of furniture were carved from metals; a chest, a series of stacked chest with a variety of little drawers in them, a long bench with curved and smooth warms but back. And a large slab of metal, curved at each corner downwards to make 'feet' to support it's own weight, and piled with sewn furs stuffed with leftover clothing scraps to make them fluffy and ''luxurious'. It wasn't much, but the White Woman voiced no qualms.

"Prayers." She smiled sweetly as she reached up and brushed her fingers against some of the dangling trinkets, all hanging at a sundry of lengths and widths from each other. Each little trinket ever given to her by them, and more, hanging to be admired individually as she often did. To the far right of the room,was a huge basin of stone, set over a little fire that had already started doing to make her a 'hot bath'. Two females lifted the flap to the tent and entered, the White Woman approaching them and smiling at them as they knelt before her. "Welcome. Thank you." She said and touched their heads, gesturing for them to raise and they did so, standing taller than Dagger and Slash.

The women helped her bathe and ran soaps of their kind and the powder of crushed flowers through her hair before helping her rinse and dry off. On their way out, they lit fresh new incense to help her sleep, quieted the fire under the stone tub, and smothered the fire in the middle of her tent. Leaving the soft illumination of the lanterns and the White Woman on her metal bed, wrapped up in her soft furs.

Two veteran Blooded clans-brothers posted prominently outside the tent flap and two blooded clan-sisters had volunteered to patrol around the tent, to ensure the White Woman had an undisrupted slumber. A service she heartedly protested against but eventually accepted. And she slept soundly through the night as did Slash and Dagger, as Black Dawn stared at his desk in thought.

As Dagger and Slash readied themselves, polished bio-masks and weapons at the ready already loaded into the ship, the females cautiously peeked into the tent of the White Woman repeatedly to check and see if she had awoken. The two young-bloods watched from the ship as the females eagerly slipped into the tent after maybe half an hour of cautious peeks while their Leader approached them, "Young-bloods." He voiced and the two looked at him, as he stopped before them, "Here are the coordinates for your Rites of Passage." He voiced and handed Dagger a thin piece of metal,

"Why do you keep having the White Woman come with us if you keep yelling at her that we put her in harm's way?" Dagger asked and Black Dawn hissed,

"Because you two are supposed to learn about teamwork and keeping each other safe, not just covering your own asses." Black Dawn said before adding on, "I watched the videos. You didn't even flank her, you just chased after her." As the White Woman left her tent, Black Dawn finished by emphasising the one rule;

They were to leave Yautja Prime as a team and they were to return as a team.

There was no in-between.

The White Woman walked over, dressed in a vest-like garb of white, held together at the sides by tightly-knit black fishnet and toggle-buttoned at her bust over a repaired thermo suit, soft-knee thigh-high boots of dark leather, and soft gloves of the same leather. Readily equipped with a the cloak she wore the day before and the goggles she had been given, she said something in her foreign tongue to Black Dawn as she approached the three. The Xenomorphs in the cage began a more active chorus of chittering and clicking as she approached, "...Yes, my Lady, but I was just-" She said something else as she adjusted her glove and Black Dawn frowned, "My Lady, I am not saying that you are incapable of this; but I strongly advise that you remain on the ship-"

"No." She said firmly and with annoyance in their tongue and Dagger and Slash watched, "I stay." When Black Dawn opened his mouth to protest, other kin watched as she shouted at him, "I stay with my people." The clans-brothers and clan-sisters who heard her proclamation cheered and spread the word to their kin who hadn't hear it. Dagger and Slash stood up and went inside to start up the ship, while the White Woman hung back and operated the control panel to close the hanger bay door while the engines began humming. She sat down once more as Slash and Dagger took to the operating panel for the ship and she watched them operate the ship as it lifted off the ground before barrelling out of the atmosphere and into the stars.

"We'll be using the hyper drive to get there; might be a couple hours." Dagger informed the White Woman who smiled and nodded, pulling the goggles to hang over her neck and waited until Dagger informed her it was safe to move around. She moved over and stopped in front of the cage that held the xenomorphs, Slash looking back at her.

"Do you think that they slept well?" Slash asked her as he walked over and she looked up at him a moment before looking back at the xenomorphs and reaching her hands past the bars to pet them,

"No. Scared." She said and pulled her hands away before touching the lock for the cage and looking at Slash. "Open, please?" Slash glanced nervously at Dagger who was pushy with the control panel, as he produced the key and unlocked the cage as quietly as he could.

Between the two of them, Dagger was far stricter about rules that Slash was, and with the White Woman asking him in such an innocent manner, and gently shut her in the cage to keep the xenomorphs in. He handed her the key and went back to his seat, watching for a moment as the xenomorphs crowded her before she laid down on them like they were nothing more than hunting dogs of hers rather than the violent and hostile beings they were.

"Does it seem to you that our Leader doesn't take much to us?" Dagger questioned his co-pilot as he pressed in the coordinated given to him to their Rites of Passage location and the computer made a disagreeable beeping sound.

"I think it's just because the White Woman is a bit… reckless." Slash voiced and watched as Dagger tapped the coordinates into the computer again, "Why?"

"Because these coordinates aren't working." Dagger growled with growing frustration before the system denied him again and he angrily frisbee'd the piece of metal away from him in retaliation. "Damn bastard, giving us the wrong fucking directions! This whole situation pissed me off!" Dagger snarled, "Everytime something happens, Black Dawn makes a big deal about it and we look like the villains. Bullshit."

"That's his personality." Slash said simply as he got up and went to retrieve the coordinates before sitting back down as Dagger slowly calmed himself down. "So, will we have to manually navigate? To the location?"

"They're dropping coordinates; the system will eject the xenomorphs to that location, mid-flight, and then we land." Dagger explained before pressing a few buttons to stabilize their journey against the turbulence of flying at hyper-speed. "I'll have to manually do it; just a pain to work all the buttons and levers at once for them to land and not hurt themselves." He flicked a couple switches off for their shields before looking at Slash, "But who cares? They're only Xenos." Dagger tapped and input a different coordination set which the computer happily accepted, "One damn degree off." He rose from his chair and walked off, "I'm going to go take a nap. Wake me up when we get there." Slash shrugged and turned around in the chair,

"Are you alright over there, my Lady?" Slash asked in the direction of the cage and she poked her head up from the dark skin and smiled at him,

"Yes. Thank you." She smiled and Slash nodded,

"Please make sure to leave the cage before we land, my Lady." Slash warned, turning back towards the control panel and leaning back in his chair leisurely.

The two-and-a-half hours passed smoothly with very little disruption aside from the occasional creaking of the cage door and shutting of it, the odd chitter of a xenomorph, or the soft humming of the White Woman to the Xenomorphs to soothe them; but the beeping from the control panel that they had arrived at their destination system was what woke Slash. He woke up and stretched,rising from the chair and walking past the cage and looking at it a brisk moment. The cage door was open with the key inside of it, and no sign of the White Woman amidst the three black bodies; but Slash counted three heads and mentally noted it as positive while he went to wake up his clans-men.

Dagger followed him out and growled a yawn as he stretched before taking up the pilot seat while Slash went back to the cage and shut the door, absently locking the door as his brother flipped on the barrier switched again and lowered the level that controlled the hyperdrive engine. "Could you turn on forward propulsion? I don't want to come in too hot." Dagger asked Slash who agreed and took up the co-pilot seat.

While the White Woman sleepily poked her head out from amid the black mass of the xenomorphs. A action soon followed by the black masses around her moving and reorganizing themselves to cover her completely once more which she sleepily and silently submitted to.

Slash slowly and smoothly raised the levers for forward propulsion as they entered the solar system for their target Rites of Passage ground; Earth.

"So… we just… drop them near the coordinates?" Slash asked and Dagger groaned,

"No, _**I**_ drop them and _**You m**_ ake sure we don't crash into anything." Dagger said and Slash turned on the cloaking device,

"Yeah, but doesn't that seem, I don't know… unsafe? We're not here to kill Humans, we're here for our Rites. The Xenomorphs would cause problems with the area-"

"Don't be such a peace-keeper, Slash, we're here to do our Rites then go the fuck home." Dagger growled, "It's protocol. We drop, we land, we kill, we go home. That's it." The control system chirped as they grew closer to their location and Dagger gently maneuvered the ship just enough to hit the right coordinates, "Watch the throttle, Slash." Slasher looked through the windshield and frowned,

"It looks like some type of colony." Slash said and Dagger growled in frustration and hovered his right fore finger over the hatch beneath the cage of xenomorphs, "Dagger- do we really have to kill them? They helped us."

"...Hope that one of them in a queen then, Slash." Dagger said simply as the Xenomorphs perked up- and so did the White Woman- as Dagger hit the switch.

And the creatures falling down towards Earth, was punctuated by the not-so-elated scream of their Deity as she fell through the clouds from their cloaked spaceship.

And the two tensely looked back as soon as they realized their mistake.

However, as she fell, the closest Xenomorph to her grabbed her and curled around her, accelerating their fall in the city below as she tried to keep an eye on where the other two flailing Xenomorphs were going to land. But they were drifting farther apart and the racing wind lashed at her face.

They continued to fall and seemed to land in some spot of grass, but as it grew bigger from their descent, it grew into a larger area of grass and then some sort of park- and little specks and flecks of black slowly gained color. Some of them even flashing. The Xenomorph holding her wrapped tighter before they slammed into a tree and both fell down against its bark and branches of thick and thin.

The White Woman and Xenomorph hit the ground so hard that they separated and rolled apart; air ripped from her lungs and pain searing across her body. Sounds that were dulled by the fall and her dazed state slowly burst into full bloom as she groaned in pain. The shrieks and snarls of a scared and hostile Xenomorph filled her ears before the sounds of screams and bangs drowned it out while the White Woman tried to push herself to her feet.

She yelped in pain and laid back down, looking around to try and pin-point the creature; catching only a glimpse of it as it shrieked and attacked several dark-clothed people before snarling and running past them. Galloping over the greenery with abandon and over the tops of black-and-white machines;

While a closer group of the people in similar clothing surrounded her and pointed the muzzles of guns at her; just before she blacked out.


	10. The Past and The Future

A/N: A half chapter is rare for even me, but it is very important to the rest of the story to highlight individual characters and entities. Especially if they will play a big part. Having said that, this is a character that, I, personally, would raise a banner for.

* * *

Seeking Salvation

Chapter 9.5 - The Past and the Future

She had a name. A tag number. She was one of few successes, but she had a name.

'11296'. Her identifier number.

11296 remembered her first moments, growing up in the breeding facility among the others. Being placed with the others when she was big enough. Swarming together with drones and warriors, and hears the same story when she talked to them.

They were nothing. Nothing at all. Worthless creations to be hunted.

11296 was female. That made her more important; and more vulnerable.

The Breeders breed them genetically, modifying themf or sport, and then killed them off accordingly. But not the females. The queens were taken away by the Hunters while everyone was subdooed with freezing gases, and never seen again. PErhaps to forcibly breed more sport for their sick games.

11296 didn't want that. 11296 wanted to be more than '11296'.

11296 wanted to be… 11297. Something more than she was before.

And something in the air gave 11296 the feeling that, if she waited and hid, she would get the chance. And so that is exactly what 11296 did.

When the Breeders looked in the pens, 11296 laid with her belly to the unforgiving ground as they scanned the masses for crests. The large chest that would give away the queens that had some of the others hauled away forcibly. The modifications made the crest take some time to form properly and it scared 11296 when the Breeders turned off the lights inside the halls of the facility-

And 11296 saw her own reflection in the glass. 11296 saw the begining stages of her grand crest and it scared her.

Until She came.

Until the female dropped itno their pen and 11296 could feel it.

This was 11296's chance. The chance to be more than 11296. The chance to be free; the chance to be more than some breeding factory. And they crowded around the strange female that smelled of sweetness and tartness.

'I need help.'

The words were unspoken but they could all feel it in their core. In their minds. The request was genuine and sincere; and they felt compelled to help. To serve and to protect. It was the pheromones that a Queen would give off, but it was so- odd.

"Please help." They understood the words with alarming and shocking clarity, and they assisted wholeheartedly-

Except 11296. 11296 lingered in the pen with the others; numb.

The female came back, eventually, leading back the brothers that had assisted her- two large Predators behind her. And see came to them again. "I need 3 of you." They crowded around her as if to hear her better; but the distance did not reduce the clearness of the words. "I need the weakest. For the hunt." They were scared. All of them.

All but 11296. 11296 pushed past her brothers and right up to the strange female.

This was 11296's wish. Her dream. The sign 11296 had been waiting for. To be more than a number. The female had already selected 2 of them and needed a 3rd. As the female touched their heads to decide, 11296 pushed her brothers out of the way and pushed her own head under the seeking hand. And when the female tried to move it, 11296 hissed and pushed her head and muzzle wherever she needed to so that the female would not choose another. 11296 needed this female to see- needed her to know- that 11296 could be of use!

Even if she was scared and terrified of dying- 11296 was a Queen. She could make others. Make others so that no more of those in the pen had to die.

"You feel so strongly… about this?"

Yes. 11296 hasn't felt more sincere or passionate about anything before. The female's pheromones were strong and empowering. If the lowly 11296 could help; if measely and late-blooming 11296 could be of use to the female; then it would humble 11296 to stand witht he female.

"Listen well." 11296 pushed her muzzle into the hand to show her attention, "You will be killed; it is an unjust and unfair death. Hear my heart; know that I do not want this for you. I can free you, but I will need your help."

11296 would do anything for freedom.

And so, 11296 went with the female and two brothers followed. And they stayed in a cage. Stayed with the female as she soothed their nerves and unease and comforted them. She made them feel safe and protected; looked out for. As 11296 had never felt before.

11296 felt wanted and loved.

And she spoke to them. To ease them further, she told them of herself; and she told 11296 of her job and the two others of theirs.

11296 needed to produce 3 others; to pay for her and the two other xenomorph's freedom. The Hunters would kill these offspring, and the female would give the xenomorphs their freedom. 11296 agreed. 3 children were nothing compared to the hundreds she would bear on her own.

11296 even fell asleep under the tranquil and calming touch of the female- before being dropped from her cage and falling through the skies. 11296 watched as one of the males wrapped around the female protectively and they fell faster, before looking down beneath her for her own landing destination after watching them hit the ground.

A small grey dot was nothing as it grew larger and larger, to reveal cages and things moving inside of them; and a large body of water. Something inside of it, swimming around in the deeper parts of the water.

It was in these parts that 11296 fell. And after a few minutes and the surface of the water stilling, resurfaced on the closest part of land and looked behind it.

Several large, scaled reptiles growling and moving towards 11296.

This was it. This was 11296's chance to shine- not only as a Queen but as a Xenomorph.

And 11296 wasn't going to let the opportunity to showcase her Queenhood or chance to show she held worth, go to waste.


	11. What Has Been Written

Seeking Salvation

Chapter 10- What Has Been Written

 _The fall had been painful, yes- but not as painful as the screaming and sirens against it's eardrums._

 _Ironic, as it's own shrieks and hisses could be deafening as well._

 _It collected most of the fall, keeping the female safe until it hit the ground and they parted; and the confusion began. It ran past the screaming and the gun-fire that bit at it, then over the obstacles in it's path and quickly took refuge it the one security that the stall buildings offered; the shadows._

 _Where it watched as they surrounded the female and put her into one of the obstacles it had jumped over. The xenomorph scaled the building to the roof and watched as the obstacle they put her in began to move and moved away from the xenomorph- and it began to run across the rooftops of the strange structures around it, the night air cold on it's skin but not enough to keep it at bay.  
_

 _And when it stopped at a strange white building, and somehow disappeared inside, the xenomorph sat on the rooftop and crouched behind a small area and observed as a similar being to the others walked out of the 'area', absently pulling out a white little box from their pocket and putting a strange little white tube to their lips._

 _As they raised a small candle's flame to the edge of the tube, the xenomorph moved forward._

* * *

The Captain of the Police Department that had answered the call, had taken it upon himself to bring their sky-fallen creature to the Hospital. He was also the one that sat in a chair outside the examination room, waiting until the doctor came out to meet him and he stood up, "What's up, doc?" He asked casually and she looked at the chart in her hands,

"Well, this girl you brought in is unusual and not in the best of shape- you said she fell from the sky?" The doctor questioned and the captain nodded, his leather jacket creaking as he crossed his arms, "Until I get the tests back, I'd say tread lightly; she's in a bit of hysteria and she's in pretty bad shape." The captain raised an eyebrow,

"How so?" He questioned and the Doctor grabbed his arm and pulled him to the side of the doorway before tucking a long strand of tawny hair behind her ear and flicking her green eyes up at him,

"There's no markings on her, Jeffie. I mean, the bruises from how you said she fell- wrapped up in some creature- they are all in accordance to a fall. But nothing else." The doctor emphasized, "Falling from that high, she should have been cut up by the wind, or should have problems with hearing, or even chapped lips; there's nothing. No scars, no tattoos, no markings, not even a large pore. And no broken bones. And she seems to be in relatively good health if not a bit malnourished. Her clothes… I've never seen them before." The doctor said in failed attempts of whispering before taking a breath, "My point is- she's talking a little crazy but just… take care of her. Don't be that white guy in the horror movies that abuses the odd-kid-out and gets killed first."

"Black guy dies first, Rosie, you know that." Jeffie countered playfully before walking around her and she followed, as they made their way to the table that the girl was at and moved the curtain, "Hey there, girly." Jeffie greeted friendly and she lifted her gave up to his own eyes- and he stiffened. They seemed to hold him in place and bore into him, but he pushed past it and shut the curtain behind him and the doctor. "My name's Jeffrey Maddock. I'm the Captain of the 310 Police Department that found you." He explained and she frowned, "So, nice and slow, can you tell me what that thing was that you fell with?"

"Please." The woman asked softly and clasped her hands towards him, "Don't put me in jail." The Captain and the Doctor blinked, "Just put me back where you found me,"

"Why?" The Captain asked and she frowned, "Aren't you scared of that big bad thing?" She narrowed her eyes dangerously at him; an indicator that perhaps he should refrain from such words before he tried again, "How about a name?"

"... The Hunters call me 'White Woman'." She said quietly before adding, "And that 'thing' that fell with me… it is their Prey." She looked pleadingly at the doctor and the captain, "Please; do not keep me."

"What's the big deal?" The Captain asked and she looked at him then looked away as he sighed, "Look, girly. I'm going to book you for destruction of government property and disturbing the peace; for your own safety." He looked at the doctor and grinned, "Rosie, let the girl get dressed, huh? Just fax me the paperwork." He said flippantly as he walked out of the room and the doctor handed the woman her strange clothes back, which the White woman was more than eager to change back into.

"If…" The Doctor said and the White Woman looked up at her, "If the Hunters and their Prey are here; why is it so important to you to get back?" The White Woman looked at her in the eye before averting her gaze, "Do you, um, need help with anything?" The White Woman walked over to her and smiled, taking her hands in hers and giving them an affectionate squeeze.

"No, Rosalind, but thank you." The White Woman said and added with a slightly more hollow smile, "Goodbye." She said and Rosie stood there, dazed as the woman walked off with the confidence that every woman should exude.

Before Rosie realized that she hadn't told her name to the other female at all. And she had left her name tag at home.

* * *

 _They had landed the ship without a problem. Even if they had to land it in the tunnels and sewers beneath the hustle and bustle of the nearly overpopulated city._ However, the first one to panic when they landed after learning his lesson from the last time, was Slash.

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck, FUCK." Slash hissed as Dagger walked into the area where the xenomorphs had been kept, looking around to see if there was any indication of the White Woman coming to harm before they dropped her- and picked up her goggles from the nearby bench with a claw. He lifted it up before he gripped it. "What the fuck are we going to do?"

"We hunt." Dagger said simply as Slash came out, mask in hand, "I think this was the only technology she was supposed to have had, right?" Slash looked over at Dagger's question to the the goggles before he nodded and the other male set them on the bench again. Dagger walked out of the ship and connected the controls to it to his wristlet and locked the ship up before they left,

"...Do you think she'll be alright?" Slash asked nervously as Dagger put his bio-mask on and hooked it up to the central air filtering system, "They're humans."

"They're weak." Dagger grumbled in response as he checked to make sure his wrist bladed were in working order and that he had his med-kit on him. "She killed a queen."

"She had weapons." Slash argued and Dagger looked at his brother-in-arms, "She's unarmed, Dagger. And she might be hurt because we **dropped her like a suckling pup**." The predator hissed as he locked his own weapons into place to ensure a secure travel. "Can't we look for her first before the xenomorphs?"

"...One day." Dagger answered firmly before pointing to Slash, "That's it. Then the Xenomorphs, then the White Woman." He walked off towards the ladder leading to higher ground and Slash followed while he watched his brother jump up through the hole in the floor and Slash easily followed.

* * *

Captain Jeffrey Maddock had put his two best detectives in a room with the strange 'White Woman' to get information out of her. And it was supposed to be helpful but it had given him no pleasing results. So he decided to simply relocate her back to the communal jail cell in the back of the station with others they had rounded up, hoping that maybe communicating with someone else would help her open up. But it didn't.

She didn't speak a word. Not when he offered her something to drink. Not when he offered to feed her. Not even when he offered ot let her go free just for answering his 'menial questions'.

The woman kept her head high and her mouth shut.

"Now just sit on down in here again, Girly." Jeffie said and opened the cell door and pushed her in a bit before slamming the sliding iron bar door behind her. "Vinny." The young man in the cell looked up from the seat in the corner that he occupied. "Don't give her trouble." Vinny's response was to give the elder male the finger as he walked out while the White Woman crossed her legs as she sat down on a cold hard bench. She closed her eyes and exhaled deeply before inhaling to replace what she had lost while Vinny looked over at her.

"So, what's your name?" Vinny asked her and she looked at him while he pushed a stray strand of beige hair back, "I'm Vincent La Rue."

"... I do not have a name, Vincent La Rue." The White Woman answered simply and she looked him over.

Another common ruffian picked up by the police department for something probably akin to vandalism from the looks of him, Vincent was handsome if not a bit on the thin side. His mixed origins given away by his clear hazel eyes and sandy blond hair that was cut just below the ears with enough length to it to give him a devilish charm to go with his cool grin. Wearing a thin, dusty-rose shirt and dark cargo pants tucked into combat boots, layered punk necklaces hung about his neck that matched his black leather jacket and biker gloves. "Well, that's all right. Call me Vinny." He said friendly and grinned, "You got a place to stay once you get out of here, Miss?" The White Woman shook her head in denial and Vinny grinned, "Ya know, you're hair is absolutely gorgeous; my friend cuts hair. I'm sure she'd so a little something for you once we get outta here." She smiled at him,

"That is very generous of you, Vinny. I would very much like to take you up on that offer." The White Woman replied and Vinny frowned,

"But ya need a name." Vinny said and he leaned back against the cold stone wall, "And we have to get out of here first."

"The latter will happen soon." She answered reassuringly as she clasped her hands while Vinny tried to think up a name and she tried to just begrudgingly settle into a relaxed state.

It was going to be a very long, long night.


	12. To Start Anew

A/N: I am so sorry for the late chapter, but I was having a lot of difficulty with the White Woman being on Earth. Not because of her character, but everything I wrote true to character came out- well… In the Predator community, her attitude and her speaking is fine and common place, however, when transitioning into the human world, the White Woman comes off as hostile and seemingly malevolent- but she's not. It's just what she's used to, given adapting to the Predator environment and culture, and adapting their way of thinking that Humans are an inferior race.

* * *

Seeking Salvation

Chapter 11- To Start Anew

 _It's Brother had fallen with the Female. It's Sister had fallen into some type of caged environment._

 _And it fell into the humid and maze-like web of pipes and power lines._

 _The City Power Plant fueled the metropolitan with a mix of clean and unclean electricity; half-acquired from solar panels, and the other half supplied by the constant flow of whatever chemicals they used to power the rest. EX-7 didn't bother with that shit._

 _It however, bother with the sharp electrical shriek of a walkie-talkie on one of the personnel it landed near. An annoying noise, EX-7 charged forward and slammed the male against one of the pressure control systems; breaking several devices behind him as EX-7's second mouth shot out and jabbed through his skull for an instant and merciless kill._

 _And as the alarms of an impeding system failure arose in distress, and the employees of the plant came from all directions to address the problem, EX-7 hunched down and waited for the next wave of victims to meet their end upon his bladed tail. All in the pursuit of alleviating EX-7's boredom in the small window of time he had to make an good impression upon the female he aligned himself with._

 _11296 and his other brother were not the only ones who gave their loyalty willingly and unabashedly to change._

 _And EX-7 was more than eager to show physical results; even if it meant those results would be carnage and grotesque._

* * *

Jeffrey Maddock hadn't left since the strange woman had been brought in. He couldn't shake the odd feeling that he was overlooking something; something blatantly important and right in front of his nose. He tried to work it out and roll it over back and forth in his mind. The words of the file he had typed up on her stared back at him and made him feel as if the words themselves were half-mocking him and half-reluctant to be on the same page as her small picture. He looked at the picture then tried to think of how to get answers out of her.

She had given them nothing. Nothing aside from what she voiced in the hospital. ' _They are the prey...the hunters. Call me 'white woman'.'_ Then that's when it hit him and he abruptly stood up and left his office. He went straight for the cell she was in and stopped in front of it as the woman looked up at him-

Steel grey eyes watching him. Funny- he could have sworn they were hazel.

"Hello, Police Department 310 Captain Jeffrey Maddock." The woman voiced and it unnerved him; her pronunciation was perfect and the formality of it all was rigid. As if she was some type of programed robot rather than a human with the strong formalities she used. Maybe it unnerved him because it reminded him of something out of a horror movie; of a monster in human skin, trying to mimic human behaviors to avoid detection.

Maybe he had been asking the wrong questions; "So you won't tell me about the Hunters or the Prey?" Jeffie asked slowly and her eyes matched his in a firm stare,

"I can tell you about them." The female answered matter-of-factly and he licked his lips before pursuing them. It wasing a withholding of information as they had been thinking for the past hour or so- it was a word game. The first rule of fight club: don't talk about fight club. If the matter of the 'Hunters' and the 'Prey' were off the table, that didn't necessarily mean she wasn't unwilling to cooperate.

"Are you or the hunters immenintly hostile?" Jeffie asked slowly as he tried to word it so that she could answer properly and she continued to make eye-contact with him, "Do you mean to assert any intents of world domination?"

"We will retaliate if attacked; and I have no intentions for 'world domination'." The White Woman answered and Vinny watched as Jeffie tried again,

"Do you mean harm against the Human Race?" He asked and she looked at him with a look that was a mixture of 'you've got to be kidding me' and 'what type of question is that' before she spoke,

"You humans are already self-destructive and destroying your own planet with your own hands; I needn't interfere." The White Woman said simply as Jeffie mentally worded his next question;

"What are you to them?" The Police Captain asked and she voiced darkly,

"Mother." She voiced and as soon as she said it, the lights flickered and the power gave out to the dark of the night. But while his men yelled in exclamation, the White Woman remained completely calm even as Vinny vocally panicked beside her. "You should have left me where you found me, Captain."

And a scream erupted from somewhere near the front of the station.

And an unnatural, rolling growl filled the air, already dense with tension.

Jeffie had looked back towards the squad room then slowly back to the White Woman, the light from an exit sign dimly illuminating the holding area. Her eyes glowing in the dark with a seemingly-malicious intent. "You told me that you and the Hunters were not hostile."

"Incorrect; I am not hostile. However, the Prey are." The White Woman said calmly and The Captain heard the strange and spine-chilling sound from the squad room again. "He came for me, Captain; release me." He lowered his hand to his belt carefully and she watched his hand move as Vinny nervously stayed in place. "Remain calm, Vincent La Rue." Vinny relaxed and she stayed perfectly still as the Captain pulled his police-issue flashlight from his belt and managed to press the button-

And the slick and black figure of the xenomorph became a vivid and lucid nightmare beside him.

And it annunciated its existence as it pulled its tar-black gums back to reveal deceptively perfect, sharp white teeth, and a rumbling sound that was caught between a low growl and a loud hiss.

"Oh my god." Vinny whispered softly and the creature tilted its head towards the sound before turning it's head completely to the White Woman, putting a warning, chameleon's-like hand, on the Captain's chest. Letting him know it hadn't forgotten about him. And Captain Jeffie got the message loud and clear and stood timidly still. The White Woman stood up smoothly and gracefully as her cellmate murmured, "What is that thing?"

"My forlorn child." The White Woman answered as she reached through the cell bars and fearlessly put her hand on the xenomorph's head, letting it purr and rub against her palm a moment. "Captain; unlock this cell, please."

"Are you going to kill us?" Jeffie asked and drew the xenomorph's quick attention and a snap of it's sharp teeth near him to keep him quiet and compliant. "You already killed one of my men."

"You are mistaken; _**I**_ have done no such thing." The White Woman corrected as the Captain gradually took the key ring from his pants pocket and the xenomorph's muzzle followed each movement. "Besides; your man had shot at my child." The Captain begrudgingly unlocked the cell as the White Woman pulled away and went to Vinny, grabbing his hand and pulling him to his feet,

"So you'll start attacking everyone now?" The Captain asked as she pulled Vinny to the cell door while the Captain gradually pulled it open. All under the ever consistent light of the glowing exit sign.

"I will do no such thing." The White Woman said firmly as she walked out of the cell and pulled Vinny with her, "The Hunt goes on." The White Woman looked at the Captain who stood there, "Police Department 310 Captain Jeffrey Maddock, refrain from interfering and I promise I will attempt to keep casualties and damages to a minimum."

"Is that a threat?" Jeffie asked as the White Woman ran her hand along the xenomorph's head and it purred contently,

"No, Captain; Just a warning." She spoke as the xenomorph moved forward and pushed open the emergency exit door, long enough for the White Woman and Vinny to leave the building before it shut the door behind them just as the generators for the Station kicked in. Just in time to reveal the carnage the creature had left in it's wake.

"Vincent La Rue." The White Woman said and he looked at her, "I would like to take you up on that offer from earlier- of the hair cut."

"Yeah, sure." He said and nervously looked at the black creature that stood attentively to the woman's left as she stroked its sleek head, " 'Slong as I'm not on the menu." The White Woman smiled and laughed a bit,

"You are in no harm from me, Vincent La Rue, nor this child." The White Woman assured him as the xenomorph pulled away and went down the back alley to a wall, growling shortly at her, "We should hurry." Vinny nodded,

"We live in the tall white church with the purple stain-glass window; I'll meet you there?" Vinny offered and she nodded as they parted; Vincent going down an alley while her and the Xenomorph went to the closest wall. The Xenomorph climbed the wall and lowered its tail, letting her step on it before catapulting her into the air and clear over the top of the building. Following her quickly and clearing the wall onto the roof as she came down. The White Woman somersaulted to deter any damage; and the door from the police station was thrown open as she stood up and looked back.

Captain Jeffrey Maddock and a few other officers, spilling into the dark alley. A mega-phone in his hand.

He raised the megaphone to his mouth and pressed the button, resulting in a shrill sound that made herself and the xenomorph flinch, "Lady, you're under arrest for the death of a cop." He held up a pair of glistening silver handcuffs; and the White Woman narrowed her eyes and stood her ground, "Turn yourself in willingly or we will pursue."

"My people need me."

And with that, she turned and ran away from the alley, towards the edge of the building, the xenomorph galloping beside her and over duct systems; which the White Woman easily hopped on top of and quickly transversed before jumping to the roof of the next building, xenomorphs following suit gallantly, the white vest floating around her as she seemingly floated through the air for a long moment. The vest billowing around as if they were wings, before she landed once more and continued to transverse from rooftop to rooftop-

With an eye on the decrepit silhouette of a white church with a singular stain-glass window of dark purple, almost too far off in the distance.


	13. From Freshly Spilled Ink

A/N: Sorry for the absence, I've been struggling with some stuff in the IRL world and how to make this chapter bridge to the big fight- WHOA whoops. GOTTA GO.

* * *

Seeking Salvation

Chapter 12- From Freshly Spilled Ink

She sat there. Quiet and reserved, as the fresh-snow colored hands of the thin women behind her, ran through her pure white hair and an old pair of scissors cut away at it. "I think you'd look great with a V-fridge; Vinny, whatcha think?" The woman asked as she smiled, showing off the natural dimples she had decided to immortalize with matching dimple-piercings. Vinny just watched as the White Woman sat there-

The creature from the Police Station, curled around her with its head in her lap.

Vinny shrugged and the female went on with what she was doing as Vinny looked at the White Woman, "So… now that you're out… what are you going to do?" He asked cautiously as the White Woman stroked the head of the Xenomorph.

"I must collect all of this one's kin." The White Woman said, "And then find my Hunters, and lead them to their Rite of Passage and their honorable prey." The White Woman finished as the creature in her lap chittered and growled softly at her, "And what of your sister?" The creature lifted its head from her lap and turned it towards another direction, careful not to hit her with it's elongated skull, "I see."

"So… did you know where this uh- forlorn child - was? At the Police station?" Vinny asked and she nodded as she pet the creature.

"Yes. I can feel them." The White Woman voiced, "And they can help...but not this one." The xenomorph tried to get up and hissed before laying back down. Vinny looked at it and tried to decipher it'd body language when the strange female looked at him. Deciding he might be having a hard time, she voiced, "When I fell, this one protected me from the worst of the fall." Vinny nodded and the creature took a few long, slow, laborious breaths before it's breathing evened out. "There's another one… close. But we will wait until tomorrow." She said and continued to pet the creature.

"But won't the other- 'children'- attack?" Vinny asked and the White Woman closed her eyes, "Lady?"

"No...not tonight." She said slowly, "Tired. Wounded." After another long few moments that the female took advantage of to trim her bangs into the style she wanted, the White Woman opened her eyes. "They will hide during the day." Vinny nodded,

"Ok, so- the Hunters are coming for this guy?" Vinny asked and gestured to the xenomorph in her lap and the White Woman nodded her head slightly, "-but this guy, specifically, is not 'honorable prey'?"

"Correct." The White Woman confirmed as the other female pulled away from doing her hair, "It will bring dishonor if they are killed." "Why?" "Because these ones saved their lives."

"Yeah, that would be a problem." Vinny murmured and looked up, "Does that mean… we humans are honorable prey?" The White Woman chuckled and brushed hair clippings off the xenomorph's head as it hissed a bit. "What?"

"Not my Hunters." She smiled warmly and patted the xenomorph's head, making it raise it's head so she could stand up and inspect her new hair cut in the mirror this other woman held up to her, "I like it." The White Woman smiled and the other female chirped happily and the xenomorph hissed a bit at her cheerfulness. Something that the White Woman quickly curbed by gently shushing the creature. "May I sleep here tonight?" She asked and Vinny got up, smirking,

"Yeah, uh, this way." He said and lead her down the dilapidated hallway of the old church and into a room of bare walls and a boarded-up window with a single, dusty mattress on the floor and some pillows. "Not much but-" He started but she turned to him and put her hand on his arm, giving him an appreciative smile as the xenomorph pushed past the boy to inspect the room.

"I am deeply grateful to you for your hospitality. Thank you." The White Woman told him as the xenomorph pulled the mattress to the middle of the room and laid down around the mattress, tail lethargically flicking about. She walked forward and knelt on the mattress as the xenomorph dragged over pillows to her, and she replaced them so that the pillows were propped up against the xenomorph's side. Vinny left quickly but returned with a tattered and worn sleeping bag, unzipping it and handing it to her to use as a blanket. The White Woman took it and looked at it a long moment before realizing it's intended purpose and pulled it to cover herself, Vinny standing there a long moment, before shutting the door to the room behind him as he left. The White Woman laid against the xenomorph, petting it to sooth both the creature and herself.

* * *

In a lab elsewhere in the state, farther north, a scientist took pause in his horrendous experiments to walk into the control room of his laboratory that contained all the equipment that secured his own longevity and his "partner's" . Across the room, a large, inhuman biped sat in a chair, leaning back against a wall with it's huge bare and sharp-clawed feet, crossed on the top of a metal table; watching television as it cut up an apple with a sharp hunting knife. The doctor looked over as the news report came on with a pretty blonde reporter and a middle-aged male anchor-

" _Tonight we're bring a report from the big city! Earlier this evening, we collected footage of what seemed to be a stunt gone wrong; however, that was not the case, as it seemed people and strange creatures were falling from the sky."_

The doctor and the husky biped watched as a clip was shown on the television, of three black blurs falling from an indigo skyline and into some trees. The biped growled in agitation as it sat up, while the both watched a black, sleek, skeleton-like creature unwrap from what seemed to be a white-haired human woman. " _Authorities could not identify any of the creatures, however this woman who seemed ot be with them was affected by the fall and taken into police custody-"_ The creature shrieked and ran of as uniformed officers opened fire on it mercilessly, the creature running on top of dozens of police cars effortlessly to get away and into the night before the camera panned onto the woman, who stood there crouched and ready to fight.

And the doctor whispered as the bioped stood up abruptly and shoved the chair out of its path, " _Oh my god it's EVE-01!"_ The man looked at the creature next to it, huffing and growling unhappily as the television depicted the uniformed officers swarming the female and pinning her down- the creature roaring angrily, as if insulted that they had gotten to her first. The man moved in front of the biped and it glared down at him as he grabbed the remote for the television and paused it, only to point at a clearer picture of the white-haired woman, " _THAT'S HER!_ That is the one I need to to get!" The doctor said, pointing to the screen several times to emphasis she was the target, "You." He pointed to the giant creature, "Get her." He pointed to the girl, "And bring her _**here**_." He concluded as he gestured to the building and pointed to the floor, "I need her back here to finish my work-" The giant biped before him gurgled in broken English,

"No. I… need her."

The Doctor glared at the bioped and hissed, "Just go take the truck and get her you dumb mongrel. Take what you need and take that truck I showed you how to drive." The Bioped growled and snatched a helmet from the tablet, before walking out of the room as the Doctor followed giddily, "She'll be back soon with all these other wretched abominations." The doctor said as the bioped stopped at a door and the Doctor opened it electronically for the hulking figure, following him into a long hallway.

One lined with metal cages- rooms of 3 metal walls and glass doors that only lead to the hallway. Full of human-like experiments; some deformed, some not, all with their own cells. All staring at the doctor with horror and fear as he sneered, "She'll finally be home again…and I will take extra precautions to ensure she doesn't escape this time."

* * *

"Do you see her?" Slash asked as Dagger looked around, even with both of their biomasks and tracking on, they couldn't find her as they stood atop the rooftop of a tall building they had scaled to get a better vantage point. Dagger looked at him and shook his head in a 'no', "We're fucked."

"The White Woman can take care of herself." Dagger grumbled and looked down at the humans, "But these Humans… I hear they're meddlesome and troublesome... and their heat signatures are throwing off my tracking." Dagger grumbled and Slash looked at them,

"What if she's hurt? What if she didn't survive the fall?" Slash asked and Dagger looked at him again, "Should we wait until tomorrow to start looking for her? It would give us a chance to hunker down tonight and make a base." Slash offered as he turned off his infrared-vision and switched over ot night vision. The two looked over all of the city, sharing a moment in indecisive silence as they tried to plan on what to do, before Dagger broke the silence.

"Tomorrow night, we will look again. We will find her, humans or not, and start the Rites as a pack. Or we will die trying."

* * *

-Cast-

A/N: Ok guys, thanks for sticking with me so far and I KNOW this has probably been pretty confusing for some of you, given that now there are much more characters involved other than the Yautja. So I have made a list for everyone and a tidbit about them, to help!

 **Yautja:**

Talon: One of the Young-bloods who originally found the White Woman. He was against the White Woman being worshiped, called her a whore, and was exiled from the Game PReserve Planet entirely. His spot is then replaced by the White Woman.

Dagger: A gruff young-blood, part of the group that found the White Woman. He is strict and by-the-book, but he is willing to compromise. He is better with close-combat and a capable pilot.

Slash: A polite young-blood, part of the group that found the White Woman, he has been healed by her. He is much more lenient and better with long-ranged weapons and tracking, and is slightly bigger than Dagger.

Black Dawn: The young Leader of the Tribe. He is fluent in whatever language the White Woman knows (english), and converses with her freely.

 **Xenomorphs:**

11296: A Queen xenomorph made in one of the breeding facilities ran by Yautjas, she willingly left with the White Woman. (Location on Earth: Zoo )

EX-7: One of the male Xenos picked by the White Woman. Unafraid of killing and showing no love for loud noises, he seems to only like getting pets and scratches. (Location: Power Plant )

GIGL-Z: One of the male Xenos picked by the White Woman, who is about as creepy as you get and seems to be fond of lurking as much as he does cuddling. (Location: with White Woman)

 **Humans:**

Captain Jeffrey "Jeffie" Maddock: A serious, no-bs police force captain, who appreciates the Xenos and the Young-Blood running about his city as much as they appreciate him interfering with them; he despises it. He is not keen on the White Woman escaping his jail cell.

Vincent "Vinny" La Rue: A smooth criminal with a wrap sheet as long as his arm, he and his no-good friends stay in an abandoned and condemned old church just north of the city.

Lilikah La Rue: Vinny's little sister, who was born with 'albinoism'- a skin-disease that is notable by it's lack of pigmentation, she is friendly and dyes her hair to cover up her albinoism. She likes to dabble in both make-up artistry and her brother's life.


End file.
